


Solange

by Typosmyown



Category: 1D - Fandom, MCU
Genre: Abuse, Dubious Consent, Human Trafficking, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Multiple Partners, Rape, Violent Sex, bottom!Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2018-12-02 19:25:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 68
Words: 148,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11515851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typosmyown/pseuds/Typosmyown
Summary: It began when Tony Stark opened his phone searching 1D. After reading his first ever  AO3 fan fiction it all goes down in flames. Fast.





	1. Prologue

Tony is not sure why he did this. 

After all he'd been part of the Avengers. A creator of the best tech ever created in modern times by a person of earth. He had the most amazing partner in love despite having sex with....how many partners?

So why t h i s obsession?

It began with serendipitously walking into this boy band in a hotel lobby late one night in Dubai. Tony checked in. They, 1D, were checking in.

 

There was this one among them. Later, he learned it was the one called "Louis".

Couple hours later Tony turned a diversionary internet search toward this thing called Louis.

Tony knew instantly he'd never live life the same.

It started harmlessly with opening to read his first ever 1D fan fiction. 


	2. Chapter 2

It was another day like so many before.

Fucking Louis Tomlinson. Why was he like this?

It was cute when the band was arranged as a group in the the XFactor in 2010. Sure. He added eye candy. He was energetic. Animated. And he somehow pulled out of the others the best in them. He made them laugh.

But then there was this something.

It started with his sass. Louis was protective. Outspoken. 

Fearless.

Once it was suggested his behavior was because he was insecure and maybe always ready to take a bullet for his team. See them advance even without him. 

But Simon saw its base in something different.

Louis was in Love.

He loved Harry. 

Unfortunately for this construct of a waning tv production, Harry, the talent, was also clearly in love with Louis too.

***

So that's how the day started. Louis, in love with Harry. Harry, the talent. And another day with Louis chipping away at Simon and Management. For Harry. For Liam and Niall and Zayn. Chipping.

Simon had had enough. 

All he wanted was to go home. Be with Paul, his lover of years. How could this lad, Louis, barely in his twenties ever understand that Simon had already handed him and his gay lover the world? Why was Louis fighting him for more.

Exhausted, the two of them are the last to leave from a photo shoot---not the type of thing Simon made time for--- Simon wants to brush Louis away at his request for a talk. 

And the chipping. Louis chipping at him starts.

Simon gave up in frustration. 

All were gone except he and Louis. At the photo shoot site which hours ago had dozens of people for doing photos and setting a stage for a slightly rougher, grungier looking image for new releases waited Simon's boyfriend Paul and their driver. 

As Simon walks past Louis the lad was unrelenting on his point of contention. 

"Just tell me why we can't come out now? Why not now? It's been over two years! Harry's not a baby anymore. How is it better to make him out as some womanizer, really? Like anyone believes that? Look at what that image does to Anne or Gemma?"

Simon turns and snaps. His spit flies as he speaks beacause he walks into Louis with rage. 

"I've told you! I've told you and I've told you! He's the money. The MONEY! You take him away from all the girl’s fantasies and what do we have? Liam, a great voice, no appeal. He's better than Bieber but no one sees him that way. Zayn? Face of the gods, sure, and we all know what a complete wreck he is with anxiety. Without you and the others Zayn can't get out of bed or on stage. Niall? Niall is afraid of crowds, terrified of conflict. Will he mature out of it, god I hope so. And then there's you..."

The spitting stopped as Simon choked on his vocal constriction.

What do you say in the face of Louis Tomlinson when he is such a paradox?

His voice? Well maybe not the range but it is compelling and heart-bending. His personality? He was a driver of the group with spontaneity, creativity and heart. His appeal? 

Simon sputtered more. He was literally two inches from Louis. This spunky pixie was so intoxicating that Simon had no words to describe whether he wanted to kiss Louis or throttle him in the rage of the repeated dispute. 

"...you, you... you're nothing to the band, you know that! You're a mistake! We thought we needed you because you were cute. That's all. We saw chemistry between you and Harry and it was appealing but that before we knew you two had connected already. You lied to us, you both, didn't you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Now it was Louis who took pause. It was this question, again.

How does one answer? 

When you meet someone for the first time and it's as if you are fated lovers from a thousand times in history how do you answer this?

"I've told you before Simon,"

Simon pushes through Louis making it a point to hit shoulder to shoulder. He'd had enough of the bullshit. Louis and Harry had to stop this. Stop this denial of something between them that couldn't be controlled. It had to be. For sake of the business. For profit. To Simon it did not matter that all five indicated mutual commitment to continuing on and allowing the public to see them as a band with two in a same-sex relationship with each other. How many times did Simon need to share how much better it was to just live the lie like he and Paul were doing? Rake in the cash. Spare the fear and danger of the haters. Why couldn't these stupid with love lads get that?

Simon blindly, with a haze of rage cutting his rational thought, Simon makes his way to the elevator. He stops and Louis, on his heals breaks from his rant about his case for he and Harry. Louis realizes something Simon doesn't. Or so Louis suggests.

"Simon this is the wrong elevator."

Simon turns, pressing the button, as snaps. "Shut the fuck up Louis. Just shut it!"

It's then that another elevator chimes, the elevator across the hall opens and Paul steps out. Paul, Simon's lover of years is immediately familiar with the scene. Simon is angry at Louis. Louis is relentlessly trying to move he and Harry out of secrecy and into the world as a couple. 

With Paul joining them Simon and Louis reposition. Now Simon is interior to Louis and Louis is standing by the elevator Simon called, the one Louis reminded him, as it is marked, is "out of order". 

Paul speaks to Simon. He sees the strain between the two and he only wants to get beyond it, again.

"Simon, Angelo and I have been waiting. Everyone else who was here left over twenty minutes ago. What's taking so long?"

An elevator door behind Louis opens and it catches. It sounds of metal to metal, completely wrong. 

No one notices because of the tension between Louis and Simon. Where a closed door was here's a gap behind Louis' position. Louis pipes up with words drenched in sass. He is still determined and relentlessly confronting Simon. 

"What's taking so long? Really Paul? What's taking so long? Like minutes are so much to you and your precious lover Simon? What? You're so late, you and Simon? To what, a private party where everyone in the room knows there's a lie? You're living a lie and pretending to be just friends, making plans with women, maybe even planning how to have kids with some surrogate so cheap she's willing to sell herself and her child all for a lie! You steal away at odd hours and have some quick hot sex and pretend that's living? For what? For money? For security? For the spice that forbidden sex provides you because you're both too old and too coward to commit to each other openly? Well I'm not. Harry is not!"

Simon wasn't sure what he knew when he did it. 

Did he know how much he was blind from the rage of truth's pain? Did he know he saw the way Louis drove a deep spike into Paul because this was a feeling Paul had shared to Simon about them now echoed by this pixie man-child?

What Simon doesn't think at the split second of action is that he consciously identified the faulty elevator was positioned off level and doors open when he struck Louis. But so it was.

Simon also did not account for how Louis was actually quite small despite his bluster and suggestions of being "big". So when Louis fell back with the strike and hit the not so large gap his form simply slipped through. Slipped through and was gone.

Simon thought in his shock maybe Louis apperated. Vanished. A dream come true. Finally Louis vaporated! He looks at Paul. 

Paul is ghostly white and looking at an open gap of elevator doors, a misaligned elevator and a vacancy once occupied by Louis.

With hesitatancy, Simon and Paul together approach the gap.

Three floors down. Louis lies motionsless. Even from the distance they can see a body sprawled below, blood. Simon wonders. Did he just kill Louis Tomlinson?


	4. Chapter 4

Angelo, the long standing driver for Simon and Paul, is surprised as Paul runs to the car. Breathless and jumbling his words Paul asks for a crowbar thing. "...you know the thing for the tires, for when you have a flat!"

Angelo steps out of the car. Paul is not breathless, he's frightened. His eyes are weird, like he's seen a terrible shock. He's not making sense. 

Angelo answers calmly. "You want a tire jack, is that what you mean?"

Paul is nodding, sweating. His eyes are still so wild.

Angelo goes to the back of the SUV and pulls open the hatch and then the floor of the rear interior. Beneath a faux floor is the spare and the tire jack. He unscrews it to release the bar and taking it out he says, "What now? Simon wants this to beat Tomlinson to death?"

"Might be too late" Paul says as he runs off with the crowbar like tool. Angelo follows. 

Inside the building where the boys had been doing a photo shoot earlier Angelo finds Paul has head down to the sub floor level where Simon is at a door marked "authorized personnel only". It's a locked door and Simon appears to have been trying to open it. 

Angelo asks what's going on but Simon ignores him takes the bar and begins to try to break open the door. Simon looks as sweaty and disheveled as Paul. As Paul watches Simon struggle he begins mumbling things. "We should call the police. It was an accident. We can say it was an accident. He's always climbing around on things, everyone knows that, it was an accident..."

The absence of Tomlinson and the frightening appearance of theis scene prompts Angelo, a muscular, security-trained professional to act. He takes the bar from Simon and breaks the door's lock. 

Entering a space in the bow of the building the sound of building mechanics hums and a dim light that runs all hours reveals they are indeed in an equipment room under the public floors. Moving quickly Simon and Paul rush to where the base of the elevator shafts are.

There lies Louis. 

Pooled around him is blood. His eyes are open and he's lying face up with his eyes open but motionless and sickly lifeless. 

Simon goes to his knees and touches Louis' chin. His position obstructs the other two until they circle around each avoiding what is a lot of blood coming from under Louis. 

"He's warm, breathing, he's not dead." Simon says as he continues gently craddling Louis' chin and scanning Louis. 

Louis' eyes are unblinking. Adjusted to the dim light, Paul can see Louis is breathing but his breath looks rapid and irregular. Joining Simon on the floor disregarding kneels where there is blood Angelo takes Louis pulse and tells Paul "call an ambulance".

Paul fiddles for his phone as Angelo says, "This is not good."

Simon looks Angelo in the eyes and speaks calmly to Paul. "No, don't."

"What?" Paul and Angelo say in unison.

"We'll take him. Don't call."

Angelo knows something of emergency medical response. This is not protocol. He can feel the way Louis was faltering. Clearly he'd taken a fall, apparently from floors up. He was loosing blood and somewhere maybe slightly conscious but maybe not. He would die without immediate care. 

"Don't make that call." Simon repeats and then he simply picks Louis up. 

Angelo is shocked. Are the driving him to a hospital? Paul is shaking his head "no" about the sight of Simon lifting Louis' limp form but not calling, not arguing about this very bad move by Simon.

Simon has little difficulty with Louis, despite being short. His barrel-chest form has mass enough to handle Louis with ease but the sight is a fright because Louis is still bleeding profusely and red blood is turning Simon's white shirt pink. Meanwhile Simon is acting like he's simply picked up a child like a father would do bring his sleeping child from a car to home after a late night out. 

Paul and Angelo both hurry to move ahead of Simon, making sure he is not faced with obstructions as they move to leave the building which is completely vacant except for the four of them. Simon takes a back seat continuing to hold Louis tight cradled to him. 

Once they are all in the car, no concern about seat belts, just getting going, Angelo states which hospital is closest. He announces that destination and from the back seat Simon speaks hauntingly calm and resolute.

"No, take us home. Take us home Angelo."

Angelo and Paul look at each other sharing a question. "We have to get him to a hospital, why are you saying go home?"

It's chilling calmness again. "No, we don't. He's going to be fine. He's breathing normal now. He's okay. Take us home. I want to take him there. Take care of him there. He's going to be fine."

Angelo and Paul look at each other again. Is Simon in shock? They pass the turn to the hospital and the two men shake their heads "no" again. 

"He's going to be fine. He's breathing normal. We'll take care of him there." Simon repeats. His voice is still an eerie calm.

"Simon, we can't fix that. He has got to go to a hospital!" Paul says.

"I'll go to jail Paul. If this gets out I'll spend the rest of my life in jail. Is that what you want? Us to end? Me in prison."

Paul looks back where Simon continues to maintain a craddling hold on Louis. Simon looks scared. Paul knows this isn't right. Louis' life might be slipping away. Louis who has been an annoyance and a thorn to Simon since nearly the day after the five lads signed on to be a group for the xfactor. It was that day Simon discovered Louis and Harry in an empassioned embrace when he walked into a room unexpectedly where he was meeting with them. Louis and Harry had arrived early. It was hard to tell which lad had his hands more into the other's clothing. Or who's tongue was deepest down the others throat. Both were flushed and out of breath. 

Coming upon them Simon too found all the oxygen had left the room. Two such pretty boys being into each other immediately disrupted the business plan that the xfactor was banking on by putting them together as a band. 

Simons immediate reaction was to have them dial their pda down and begin counter measures. Harry would be cast as a womanizer, actually as being into older women. Caroline Flack and he would have "a thing". Louis? Simon wasn't certain at first how to cast Louis. The natural flamboyance of his behaviors would require more training out. At least he had, or had had, a girlfriend at the time of his audition. Pictures of them were floating around. Maybe she could be bought Simon hoped, if the sting of being dumped when her schoolhood beau realized his sexuality was heterosexual wasn't so damaging and her ethics not so strong. Unfortunalty the girlfriend seemed okay to be cut loose. Apparently she always suspected and genuinely loved and supported Louis because ablove all they were still friends. 

So yes, from the beginning Louis became Simon's biggest problem. How many times has Simon wished he'd befall some unexpected terrible tragedy?

Simon just wasn't prepared for it to be by his hands.

"He'll be fine," Simon repeats still emotionless and vacant, "fine. Take us home."


	5. Chapter 5

Paul let's Angelo into the massive home that only a few know is the real residence of Simon Cowell and his long-time lover, Paul McKenna.

Angelo has some medical supplies with him. Paul is grateful to see him as things have gone on too long with Simon being checked out emotionally. Vacant. Resolute. "Louis will be fine", Simon maintains. He's done nothing to help Louis except for carry him into their house, to the master bath, bathe Louis and put him on the bed. Oh, he also had Louis laying face down for many hours with a compress of towels on the area that was once profusely bleeding and a grouping of ice packs over the compresses and areas of Louis back and pelvis that were bruising. After many hours of that he stopped freshening relief efforts and sat waiting and taking the onslaught of calls that began coming when it was apparent Louis was missing.

"Is he the same?" Angelo asks Paul.

"Yes. He's never responsive. He sleeps, he wakes but he doesn't react to anything. He doesn't move. He still is laying belly down where Simon put his with his head turned to the side. He only looks paler by the hour. The dark circles under his eyes are worse. I swear I never realized how small and delicate he really is. You know? He's always so sassy and brash. His personality is so big, it cloaks the rest of him." 

"Did you see the news? They are still reporting he went missing after we dropped him off outside his home late Thursday night. Now gossip is spinning. Everyone wants to find an angle."

"Yeah, I saw that. The questions about Harry are really hard. Harry calls here constantly. It's so painful hearing Simon talk him down and know how much this is killing Harry. Harry fears the stalker fans who have had glimpses of Larry are behind this. He can't say that to anyone, so he calls Simon. Harry believes that, Simon doesn't give him any counter suggestions and Harrys so distraught I fear he might do something rash. I keep asking Simon if we can't at lease plant some idea for Harry's sake that Louis is alive. He says "no". Any deceptions make it easier to turn attentions onto us. "

Angelo pulls out some tubing, syringes, needles and a bag of clear liquid, items familiar to a hospital setting. Paul doesn't know where Angelo got them. He's grateful that Angelo has some medic experience from his military service days. And connections to people who don't ask questions and don't talk about unusual requests. 

"Well let's if this gives him a boost. For sure he won't last longer without drinking. A person has only so long they can go without water."

Paul leads Angelo through the house he's familiar with. Louis is in the master suite. Simon is sitting on a overstuffed chair by him reading the news on his tablet. This is just how things came to be. He and Paul alternate who sleeps beside or on the huge bed to monitor Louis. They've been taking turns being vigilant for any changes but for two days it's been the same. Louis is peacefully sleeping or he wakes only it's the wakeful-dead-Louis. He's eyes open, they don't respond. He doesn't speak. He hasn't swallowed a single drop of water they try to force on him. He never moves. 

Angelo moves to the bed siting there beside Louis. He finds an arm, begins using alcohol wipes to clean an area where he's picked out a vein. Louis is asleep. Like Paul said none of Louis' normal honey-glow remains; he's notably paler. A blue tinge under his eyes is darker than when Angelo saw him many hours ago. From Angelo's point of view prominent cheekbones that are a standout feature of Louis' look even more sculpted. Everything about his appearance screams "frail". He finds a vein with his needle with ease and begins to let a flow of sustaining fluid enter Louis' body. The kid shouldn't be suffering like this, Angelo thinks. Angelo has a pang of hate for Simon's because ot this and considerable self-loathing for himself for his role in going along with it. Is all the money worth it?

Angelo has many, many times driven Simon and Louis when they are meeting privately which is always on the heels of something too Larry. After a promo, after an interview, after a performance. If Larry happened, Louis and Simon were into it. The other four would be sent home with their Paul. Meanwhile in Angelo's car Louis would be sat with Daddy Simon. Conflict begins. 

It is the same dispute that plays out each time. Louis takes no prisoners is his fights. He shames Simon for the coward, greedy coward that he is. Angelo has witnessed how Simon seethes for days after because Louis is right. Many times after Louis has exited the car Angelo gives simon a chance to vent. Simon says what he would like to do in his state of rage. 

It's just the way Simon has stated his feelings in the past Angelo had never really believed there was level of hate enough to actually follow through and hurt Louis. In fact Angelo always suspected that what made Louis so effectively prickly for Simon to endure was how Simon seemed to have a craving for Louis under the surface that he denied. If Angelo didn't know better he'd guess that Simon actually had many a wet dream about the boy. Anyone who ever watched and studied Simon in action could tell the man had a thing for boys. Pretty boys. Was there any question why he put some other boys with Liam? On the second audition of Liam's he'd shattered Simon with his brilliance. He didn't need to be grouped. He was ready to be solo. But Simon liked collecting those of interest. 


	6. Chapter 6

Tony started the slide into dangerous territory.

What was this addiction he is suffering? 

He was on Tumblr, again, and looking through some of his favorites. Art by Karukara and Prettytruthsandlies. Then he checked in on his favorite Larry blogs. There were some new manips of Louis. Insane was the only way to describe them. Insanely good. Too close to perfection to believe the images were manips. 

Every detail about Louis seemed there. The little combination of sparse freckles on one of his cheeks. The perfect replica of the famed Tommo-tummy. The tale-tale signs of manip were impeccably concealed by this master of fakery who created them. Whoever this new manip source was, it was clear, they were in a word, brilliant. It was just that something about the images made Tony need to see Louis as he was portrayed before he went missing. Tony wanted to see him as he was in the more armature manips. Him and Harry, boys in love. 

There was an element of the new manips that seemed frankly, to Tony, disturbing. Too frightening.

In the new fandom lore, ever since Louis went missing, the fandom was alive in many ways unexpected. Ways like it never was before. Mostly the fandom was overwhelmed with heartfelt agony for the band and their families, friends who knew Louis personally. Gossip paddlers were spinning rumors, making things worse. Investigators were overwhelmed with persons maki g senseless tips hoping a leap into famemm but it remained total a mystery. What happened to Louis Tomlinson?

Forums like ao3 and Wattpad were full of young writers spinning their theories in stories. Tony tried to limit what he allowed himself to read of these but he was pathetically obsessed. He read a l l the stories. He didn't like the ones which made one of the boys the bad guy. Anyone could look at the four of them as they were struggling to meet contractual obligations as a band of four and see how miserable they were. Louis was their light. Their sun. And don't ever, ever look at Harry too long since alouis went missing, Tony discovered, or his depth of misery took you in to despair with him.

But these new manips...like this new one, so realistic. So seductive. 

The manip framed Louis on he bed, his chest down, his belly slightly off the bed as he has his face turned to the side so his features are visible. His bum is lifted up by the way he's on his knees it's legs spread wide waiting. 

The arch of his back is dramatic. He's prepared to be entered. Only the head of the cock, expecting to penetrate him, and a few inches of the penis shaft are visible. The person who is about to enter Louis from kneeled Beijing, obviously, has a only a few inches their of veiny dick extended beyond their gripping hand. Only part of the hand shows. Toney has seen this hand before. 

Another person is there with manip Louis and veiny dick too. The second man is on his knees positioned in front of Louis. Again there is only half of his hand shown and a few inches of his smallish penis. Clearly, if Louis turns his head face forward he's position for being split-roasted between the two men. But Louis appears to be turning to look back, his attention on the big Daddy behind him. 

That's the caption. "Louis knows, all attention on his Big Daddy first if he wants it nice."

Tony has seen tiny glimpses of these two men in manips with Louis before. The men are unappealing. He recognizes their hand which are always on Louis. They are described in four words. Older, hairy, soft bodies. So why are these manips so popular? For Tony he can't resist these new manips because the Louis looks so perfect.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony turns off the news. He's disgusted. He's just learned the authorities have taken in the boys of One Direction and questioned them. How can the police be so incompetent? 

He next few days there is a spin to downplay the investigation questioning 1D. 

It doesn't matter. Damage is done.

Tony goes to his happy place. Tumblr and fiction. But it's not happy. Truly it feels like when Louis went missing someone stole the sun. It was so on the band's faces, it's so on Tumblr, so it is in the fan fiction.

Tony has resisted but he makes a call. He opens up himself, exposing his fetish to a tech friend who specializes in facial recognition and he asks his friend to compare the new, darker manips of Louis to real Louis. Analyze the graphic editing. A reply comes back in minutes.

"Tony, these are not manips."

The obsession swells. Tony feels compelled to find the truth.

Tony begins to hit everything he can on Louis Tomlinson fan art and fan fiction. The road he takes surprises him.

***

"Have you ever seen the movie," Tony days out loud to himself as he hits the button to download, "with Mathew Broderick? War Games? This is like that....do you want to play a game?"

Tony hits the tab to send the payment. It's nothing. An easy thousand. 

Granted it's a thousand for a ten second clip. But he hits send.

The money is going to a site he sifted through a series of Tumblr, fan fic platforms and a few blind allys to come here. A site that asks a few questions then takes some money and gives promises. It doesn't ask about games although the site does asks, "Do you want to play?"

No mention of what. Or with whom. This is where Tony's search has lead.

His payment in bit coins accepted, Tony hits "yes". He had the option of "save for later" or "no thanks, changed my mind".

But it's "yes". For a thousand dollars Tony gets a ten second eye-full.

Tony gets Louis, or manip Louis. Hard to tell which. But Louis in the video is on a floaty shark in a pool. The person filming is slightly above and behind so one gets the full view of Louis, manip or not, laying on this floaty, his legs spread to straddle it and he's ten seconds on the floaty, belly down back side up, before it rolls and he goes under and the clip, a thousand for ten seconds abruptly ends.

The thing is Louis was bare naked on the floaty. It was only ten seconds but it was ten seconds of nirvana. 

Lous' skin was bronze and glittering wet. His plump bum exposed was succulent. His arms, always so shapely were grasping like he needed the stupid shark-shaped kids floaty for guidance. 

It was spectacular. Tony hits the repeat option and watches over and over. He was toying with how to send this to his friend with the facial recognition expertise this clip when his replay option went dead. 

Appearing in its place was a prompt.

"Yes, send future offers?" and. "No, please do not retain my confidential payment information".

Tony was struck. He first thought, what there is more maybe. Then he thought how remarkable it was some anonymous site could retain a payment process. 

Being Tony, he hits "Yes, send future offers".


	8. Chapter 8

It's a few days later when Tony gets notification.

It's not like he's been counting the hours, but he has.

More like minutes. 

He hits the "accept" before he considers the charge but he is thrilled when he sees he's paid 1K, and the updload is longer than the first video. Longer!

It's another pool scene. For all Tony knows it was the same day. Once againLouis is at a pool. The lighting is different, more long-spectrum sun. 

In this video Louis is no longer in the pool. Apparently just out of it because he is still wet. Louis is lying on a reclined chair, aviators on. Clearly he is fading into the waning sun. It looks as if he's just ruffled his hair with a towel so he has that perfected but unintentional Pixie-Tommo mess of fringe going every which way.

The thing that makes Tony's throat construct is that this is a reclined Louis presented nude, glimmering with water particles that reflect the light making his bronzy-colored hue more unreal, his features more difined, and yeah, afterall Louis is completely full-frontal nude. His relaxed cock looks enticing. Cute even.

The it lays to the side, it too bronzed like a daily routine of sunbathing nude is totally natural, makes Louis' ease and beauty all the more appealing.

The action next is not at all what Tony expects. 

With the sunglasses on it's hard to know but clearly Louis must have his eyes closed soon after leaving the pool and reclined. This seems plausible because Louis does not see a dog, notably pixilated to zero recognition so a viewer like Tony can't recognize the co-star dog. It happily approaches Louis and only garners his attention when said-candid-beast comes along side the unaware Louis and begins to lick his neck. This sends Louis into a fit of unbelievably adorable giggles.

Tony wonders. How can someone so exposed and so, so sexy also be so, so cute and childlike?

Tony is wrapped up in watching and, like before, hitting replay, again and again.

Once again the prompt. Stay or fold? Tony reaffirms his choice to stay in the service. He considered he's just spent 1K to watch a manip Louis glistening in a late-day sun, nude, and to only be sent into a massive set of giggles as he's loved up by a dog with a really good tongue. Sure Louis erupted upright and played with the pooch but was this video a few seconds more than the last? It was not sexual, really worth a thousand? 

Tony leaves his computer for a long, cold shower. Hell.


	9. Chapter 9

The notification there was a new video waiting for Tony came at a time he was with a group of people so it was hours and hours before he got to see it. When he sat down to watch it he was astonished at how much it took him back to being a small boy, giddy with excitement as he was about open it just like when it was his birthday and a field of presents stretched out before him. 

Little did he know.

The newest video loads quick enough that Tony knows it's not going to be a long one.

The opening image is of Louis' face with only a bit of his shoulders in view to as the camera is positioned to frame head and shoulders facing straight to the viewers. 

More that ever Tony believes there is no question this in not Real Louis. Everything from the most minute of detail is too real to not be Louis. It's about so many things little things incapable of being reproduced. Thick eyelashes and playful brows framing bright blue eyes. Cheekbones cut with an uncanny perfection. Pink lips, thin, but perfectly pleasing. 

Tony is certain that it is impossibly hard to find someone that close to this type of perfection and call it an impostor. 

The video goes to action pretty close to immediately. The way Louis is rocking inward and then away from view? Forward and then back, forward and back; it gives a clue why the camera is staged like this. 

Soon enough Louis' expression clears any doubt. 

It's the expression of someone during...

Sex. 

Louis is being pushed forward toward the camera and moves back as he ebbs and flows while he is being fucked. He must be positioned on all fours. Sure enough a man's hand comes into view. The hand is biting into Louis' shoulder and pulling him backwards. Clearly whomever is kneeling behind him is using a hand to maximize their pounding into Louis by holding him tighter as they fuck into Louis more and more intensely. This is not a quest lost on benefits of its pursuits. 

Louis' face is still the primary thing to view. 

He's taking it like he's enjoying it. Lips parted, sweat breaking, eyes closing as it intensifies. He's doing some panting more and more. His cheeks flush. 

It's then that Tony realizes the effect of this scene of Louis being fucked. Tony has slipped his zipper down and is holding himself. Tony is hard being held in is own hand. Is he actually seeing the real Louis Tomlinson's face as he's being fucked, apparently fucked pretty good because Louis is bronzing up, panting, sweating and .... 

Louis starts to come. Tony can only guess because perspective remains the same. The way Louis flushes more and murmurs something that the audio-free clip looks like might have been "Daddy" suggests he's orgaming. That's when the camera jumps around and it's cameraman who gives the viewers a nanosecond of a glimpse before they show themselves getting into it. With camera in one hand, the videographer offers Louis their dick with the other. Louis accepts the offering letting it slide between those perfect pink lips and instantaneously as he does this the video goes black. 

Tony hits replay before he has realized that he too has cum from what has been maybe his first self deployed hand job while watching porn since he was a teen.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think Chapter nine was edited to emphasize no audio that is correct. Decided the Louis voice is too distinct and makes it too obvious, not that it's not already, but even though this is my least realistic story and it hasn't yet gotten to the more sci-fi elements.

After a several days of more porn with only still images Tony is exceedingly excited to see the latest upload goes from a series of still images into another short film. The video opens with Louis on his knees but upright and his "Daddy" is mostly obscured from view as he is right behind Louis. Only his arms and hands are fully in view. Once again any details of the body of this man suggests he's in fifties, at least, he's not thin, he's hairy. He's got an arm around Louis crossing diagonally and he is steadying Louis with another hand on Louis' pelvis. The hairy forearm crossing Louis blocks view of Louis' tummy, oddly it emphasizes how beautiful the tiny waist and torso are and their contrast to Louis' hips. It's clear the man is impaling Louis forcefully. 

The smallness of Louis to be able to be so easily wrapped up like this is tearing into Tony's psyche. He's enjoying watching how beautiful Louis is, features so chiseled, his body too confoundingly pretty as it's a mix of delicate and voluptuous as is the only way to describe the thick thighs which are part of this well-staged shot. But even though Louis is erect, like he's being pleasure with this dicking, and his head is lolling a bit, eyes closed, mouth open, there is something off about this.

The fucking must be hitting somewhere just right because in a flash Louis' eyes open, the hairy top's hands move. One goes to his throat the other to Louis' cock. The grip on his penis as Louis comes is firm, clearly the grip on his neck is not. Louis shoots come in ropes and once he's finishes the camera shifts and follows his body as he's pushed down onto the bed. His legs that were spread slightly to provide stability remain parted by the top. The camera focus is such that only the legs of the top where his knees meet bed are visible. The purpose of film ongoing is to show the top splatter his seed on Louis. Louis' plump, round bum is marked not only with come but also visible where come hits skin are red hand marks, signs that before the video started the Daddy spanked his boy. 

A hand different from the one man but belonging to the other man Tony knows from past submissions joins the sex coming into view. Camera movement suggests he is holding his device for filming with his other hand. Once again the second top must be preparing to take his turn. All the remaining film shows before it goes back to stills on this update is how the second top pushes three of his fingers into the once fucked Louis. 

It's clear top two is showing the viewers how Louis has been very much left fucked open by Daddy. The fingers seem to have no resistance to their penetrations into Louis. Louis remains face down but he arches his lower back presenting himself a little. It seems he knows the drill.

Still photos follow. They suggest the second top went to taking some time eating out Louis, maybe he got some precum from Daddy, the way the pictures showed Louis' hole in what was post finger exploration and then perhaps post oral. Then there was the second top's dick in various degrees of penetration ending with a still of Louis' with cum leaking. One last three second video only shows the way cum is dripping and Louis' hole quaking as a a hand smacks his bum. 

Tony sits wasting what he knows is precious and limited time for replays. For the first time he feels like this is more than wrong for the reasons that Louis has been missing for months and this is sex with men way too old to deserve him. He feels queasy because he gets a hint of an element of abusive sexual conduct. Maybe it was the hand gripping Louis' beautiful neck, maybe it was the presence of the red marks where hands had made them. The spanking wasn't shown.

More time ticks away. Tony thinks about the times, many, with women that he's spanked them during sex. The spanking was always playful. Never did he leave any mark so red and enduring; never could he hurt a person he was intimate with. Was he calloused in the way he didn't commit emotionally, sure. Unkind in leading women on? Sure. But these were mature women who knew Stark's playboy status. They welcomed the game on a chance he'd stick with them. 

If this impostor Louis though. If this is not Louis Tomlinson he is still young. Way to young for these old men. As is he enjoying them? Until this update it seems so. But now?

Tony hits replay and he only gets one more view before the update is cleared. In the second viewing he tries to look at things other than Louis' beauty and his pretty cock. He tries to see the flutter of Louis' throat as it's being held and the split second when it's released. He tries to see Louis' torso for assessing his breathing despite arms crossing it and obstructing much of what Louis' breathing tells him of how much of the breath is pleasure or not. For certain with deeper scrutiny he sees that Louis is trembling ever so slightly. Pleasure?

Staring at a screen that is devoid of any image Tony is questioning. After several minutes of pondering he calls a friend. In he has all the best tech and tech friends. Mark, a former employee of Stark Enterprises, is the leading authority of facial recognition programs. Every military drone which uses facial recognition for targeting is working on programs written by Mark.

Tony tells Mark he wants to bring him some pictures he's snapped with his phone for Mark to analyze. Can Tony send them electronically, Mark asks Tony.

Tony says no. They are too sensitive. The reality is that Tony wants to be there with Mark in person to deflect Mark's reaction to Tony coming up with pictures of a very high profile missing person. Is Tony ready for anyone to know his dark secret? Not really. But the highs Tony is getting from seeing Louis nude, sexually engaged...it's waning. He wants to see Louis happy. The giggles over the puppy type of updates have become images far and few. There is a vacancy to Louis though it's hard to measure. The pictures are crafted carefully so as to protect the two men. 

Tony can feel this. Or is he imagining? 

He goes to see Mark.

The outcome is unnerving.


	11. Chapter 11

"Dude, I'm still trying to get my mind around you being into boys, I mean dude. You can have any woman on the planet. As many of them as you want too. Duuuude!" 

Mark is taking this better than Tony expected. He's sitting at his computer and looking at what are the tame images Tony is sharing. He seems to surprised to learn Tony Stark has a celebrity crush and this makes him gay, but Mark appears to be analyzing the images as he continues to express how surprised he is by the news.

"Okay, so dude, Tony. This is Louis Tomlinson. This can't be anyone else. It's him. He's pretty hard to recreate a facimile of him because he's so very, very distinctly put together. His facial structure, his body. Like, this, look at the way his torso is defined. He's got very muscular arms that are thin, but sculptured with definition, kind of like a dancer. His chest, it's not very muscular, like he's actually almost pre-teen with how small he is, he's got very little flesh overlaying his ribs. It's 100% identical between images of public record and your photos. Don't even get me started on his shoulders, the way his collarbones are pronounced. He's so pixie pan like it's hard to believe he's real in a way. That too is 100% aligned in public and these private images. And then, dude, this one of him nude on the reclined chair pool side. What are the chances someone could find a person with that tiny waist, those muscular thighs and, well, we don't know what the celebrity Louis has in the package department, but the image of his dick aligns with public record. As a run a scan for comparisons against the image you have and public comments, it comes up that in some teeny-bobber magazine Liam says Louis' is uncircumcised. This Louis in your picture has that accurate. So we can call that a match."

Mark is now so into his work he's getting over the weirdness of learning Tony has this gay-crush. "Dude, Tony, sorry, I was hanging twith my surfing buddies all last week and I've been infected. Do you have any ass pictures? There aren't any of him nude in public record but there are a ton of "bum appreciation" posts. My program can take an image of him in his clothes and create a rendering to compare against another image."

Mark pulls up something from the xfactor days. It's the boys in a stairwell for something called video diaries. In the clip when five boys finish and stand it shows Louis in boxers with red lip prints all over them. He's walking away. His bubble butt waddles as he goes up the steps. How perfect his bum is goes without question. 

"This one of him in these tiny boxers is very easy for me to compare against the nude. Clothing or not, it's perfect to use."

Reluctant to show how deep in he is in to Louis or not, Tony gives Mark another image. Tony is, as he shares it, blushing, something Tony rarely does. In seconds Mark has comparison made. 

"Dude! Those two people are the same! Tony, your imposter is no impostor! That's Louis! And a Tony, I'll give you this, seeing his bare ass like in this picture, I'm totally with you. Gay or not, I'd fuck that ass. Tomlinson has a fine, fine ass. Hey wasn't he supposed to be with the other really pretty one, Harry? Don't you think that Harry would recognize this ass anywhere? So what now, the authorities? I can document all this for you to give them if you like."

Here is the rub. Tony feels his stomach flip and some acid hits his throat. 

"No. Not now, thanks. You need to keep this between us, okay. I'm fearing he's in danger. I just need to know for certain that these are him. Don't want to go down any blind alleys. So mum, on this, please?"

Mark agrees after he asks a couple questions, how did Tony get the images, how many more does he have, why isn't anyone else looking for Louis getting these. Tony doesn't say anything about the porn to Mark. Or about there were also videos. He's tempted though. Could Mark piece together the bits and pieces of the two older men? To do so he'd certainly need the entire collection and Tony was only able to get a few images from each update because of how the updates vanished. 

Mark goes on to say a few more times as he asks these questions how he'd "totally tap that ass". Tony gets that this is Mark's way of saying it's okay that Tony has this obsession. But still, Tony isn't certain he can see through other people learning this about him. So he goes home and waits for the next update.

It isn't long before one comes. And with this one the question is answered. Does Louis enjoy this? Apparently not. At least if Louis did once, he no longer does. Evidence abounds. 


	12. Chapter 12

It's shouldn't be disturbing to Tony. After all he has three large reprints he's made of fan art on the wall above the headboard of his massive bed. The one in the middle is from Prettythruthsandlies of Louis bound and blindfolded. He's always loved this one because of how stunningly the artist captured a fantasy. Louis positioned on his knees and heels, his luscious thighs parted, his arms bound by ropes that crisscross his body and make several wraps. Tony's collection of art has this one in the center offset on each side by reprints of fan art by Karukara. Those two reprints are yin and yang, one being inspired by a fan fic author, Cheshire-the-Pussycat, and her story putting Louis and Harry in an AU where Harry is a brutal leader and Louis a slave. Tony loves it for many reasons, not the least how romantic the relatively tame piece is. The other by Karukara is a blatantly sexual themed piece of work. But the bound-Louis in the center of the three was always a favorite.

So why does the latest update staring with some still pictures of Louis bound make Tony so uneasy? 

After a slide show of a series of images of Louis bound a video begins and it's very apparent the mood. Something has changed. What were glimpses of Louis being fucked and seeming to enjoy it is replaced by a darker side of things in this update. The hint was there with the still images.

In the video Louis no longer has any ropes on him like in the pictures proceeding the video but he has rope burns and red marks from where they were. His throat has red marks too as does a few places here and there on his body like he may have been hit or the ropes were too tight for too long. His face bears a distraught expression like he's taking what he's getting because he's been literally beaten down, forced to accept this.

The shot has Louis facing the camera. He's lifted and held by the arms of the man who is standing behind him. The arms link under legs bent at the knees. Louis legs are spread. He's got his hands bracing some of his weight holding onto something like a metal bar running overhead. The man with him is deeply pounding up into Louis. It seems like this has been a fucking that has been underway for some time but Louis is unaroused. His beautiful cock is waving lifelessly, flaccid, unaffected by the pounding. Louis' face winches with each upward thrust. 

It's heartbreaking.

The video continues capturing the appearance of cum dripping out after the top stops with his length arrested deep in Louis for a full minute until finally the fading erection and a mass of cum together slip from Louis' body. The video ends instantly like either the fulfilled top or Louis loose their grip and the identity of the man could be revealed. 

Following the video more still pictures show further activities in carefull framed shots. 

Louis made to lie face down on a bed with a Daddy holding Louis' hands to extend them up away from his body. The cropping of the shots shield all of the top's upper body, identity, but much of his lower body is visible as he's between Louis' legs driving into Louis. In the pictures Louis has his bum lifted, his back arched but what would be beautiful is marred by the appearance of marks. From ropes? From blows? The ever visible rib area of Louis' torso have blemishes from something leaving red stripes. The hip which is visible has a bruise. Louis is facing away from the camera and for this Tony is thankful. He can imagin how Louis is just taking this but he's not in the slightest enjoying it.

The last picture is just a shot of Louis' back side splattered with the orgasm remains from the second top. His legs are still parted. His body littered with jizz and bruises. They are everywhere. Some look red, newly made, some a couple days old, some fading. 

It occurs to Tony. Videos just a week ago didn't show abuse. These do. The newer updates must be very recent, but the original ones were perhaps made much further back in time than their release date suggest. Louis has been missing for months and months. What may have started in photographic evidence as concentual appears to have become a struggle. It's almost like these releases are put together to drawl in and keep engaged a certain twisted, morally bankrupt kind of viewing population. 

The end query that has come with all prior updates request a reply again. Is Tony in for further updates or is he out? It's Tony's chance to bail on this, this whatever. Stop subjecting his heart to the pain of seeing Louis, his obsession, abused like this. But how can he? He's into deep to share this with anyone, any authorities, any investigative savvy friends who could trace this source, but he's too afraid to let this go too.

He clicks to continue.


	13. Chapter 13

Solange.

To be precise it's "Solange1728".

That's the password Tony receives when he goes to the next level.

Tony knows immediately, clearly more than ever before, not a game when his bit coin buy in is suggested at a reserve of 50K.

Welcome to the big league.

But Tony isn't playing for scraps anymore. He'd been continuing to see what he knew were abusive, non consensual sexual exploits of Louis Tomlinson. It was approaching nearly a year since Louis went missing. During the months that had passed Tony had been taking his guilty pleasure watching Louis, in videos and in still photographs. Clearly, things between Louis and his keepers had turned ugly for Louis. Once he sat poolside and was lost to unbridled giggles induced by an affectionate puppy. For reasons not given, Louis had become displeased with his two "daddies". Or they had become displeased with him. Still they took Louis. It appeared he fought them from time to time. 

The updates continued. They seemed to be a mix of older images and newer ones, short clips of the two men having sex with Louis. The newer images were apparent because it was rarer and rarer to see Louis' honey skin flawless in the more recent submissions. Usually Louis had bruises or marks somewhere sometimes he looked very tired. Dark eye bags lingered. Clearly the 50K was to see what is next and it's something entirely different, a whole new level of play.

Tony's confirmation came back. "Solange1728" was be his password once the 50K reserve was processed. The way this unfolded felt oddly like an auction. Something like Christie's or Sotheby's would do. 

Reserve for what? Auction for what? Then Tony gets a message directing him to an unfamiliar link. 

Tony signs in at a site that appears very different than the usual format. Like before it has pictures of Louis. Consistent with a new trend there are more pictures that show Louis in duress, darker themes, punishing sexual situations. There's one particularly so. It's a picture of Louis that only gives Tony a slight glimpse (as always) of both of the partners with Louis. The older men have their hairy hands holding Louis just so as they share his body, this time both are penetrating him together, two men, one servant. Louis' face shows his discomfort. His face is wet from either sweat or tears. Which it is Tony can't tell because Louis' entire body looks wet like this has been a long process to getting things here as the one snapshot reveals. His hole is stretched full with both of them, the sight of it makes Tony sick. He should have been brave enough to trace this down. Risked revealing his own identity, come out to one of his friends who could navigate through this web, find and free Louis.

Tony is considering enlisting some one to do just that and help him free Louis from this hell when a message appears as his payment was processed. 

"Congratulations. Your 50K awards you access to all prior images and videos for your keeping. Click the left tab to updoad images and exit. Click the right tab labeled 'auction' to stay on this site and begin bidding at the next level. Winning bid will be directed how to collect their prize. We're giving you a chance to make Louis your own."


	14. Chapter 14

Tony watches as his screen shows him the bidding. The first individual to make a bid is given the number "one"; One goes in with an opening bid of 1K. In a matter of minutes there are many more people posting bids. Each new bidder gets the next number in sequence as this online live auction unfolds. Aside from that each bidding party has no identity. At eighteen people logged in and vying for Louis their competing bids are going up by increments of a thousand dollars.

Chump change, Tony thinks.

Tony only knows one way to do anything. Full throttle. 

Tony enters with a bid of 100K over the total money on the metaphorical auction table. 

For a minute there is no further action amoung the chump change parties who were bidding. Ironically Tony thinks it's serendipous that his bid entered giving him the number "28" as his designation. The number 28 was tattooed on Louis' fingers after all. Many times Tony has fantazised about that hand, tattooed with 28, languishing at pumping his cock before Louis decides to take the task of Tony's pleasure to his perfect mouth. 

The recall of a familiar fantasy is disrupted; a new bid comes in to follow Tony's. The amount being pledged from number 29 is 200K over Tony's. 

Okay, Tony thinks. I've taken out 27 people. They were all willing to take risks at small dollar amounts. But then before Tony can go back countering with 300K over 29's pledge two more new bidders come on and the figures resume coming out faster again with 29, 30, 31 bidding up in increments of hundreds of thousands. At one point 19 jumps back in. They leap up in a bid 100K over the highest bid. 

Nineteen's bid is quickly run over by other players. Tony finds everyone coming in to bid with numbers designated greater that his number 28 seem to be as un constrained with their money as he is.

That's when Tony thinks through a list of people who could be spending this kind of money. He eliminates the idea of everyone from Buffet to Zuckerberg, but holds onto the possibility of Tim Cook. After all Tim is wealthy, gay and maybe he knows how Louis fancied the iconic rainbow Apple tee shirt after Tim was in the news when he came out.

Tony toys with the idea of calling up the Apple tycoon, maybe telling Tim to stop bidding but instead Tony changes the game. He sends out his next bid with an increment rise of one million.

Again the bidding game hits a momentary pause. Half the field of bidders drops out. 

Tony takes a breath preparing to go in harder at this point because he realizes there's a chance of Louis being his. Then again, he realizes he's run none of the technology he has to try to trace this auction and he feels the field is closing. The competing bidders fall off to three of them. Then two. 

Tony takes stock. His last bid is staggering. Apparently the lone competitor may have met their match. A risky idea comes to Tony's mind. With he and only one other on this site it's possible for Tony's Ironman software run a search and detect where the point of orgin is for the two open links. to on a good friend. The countering offer comes back and its staggering. Tony can't resist. He employs his program and within seconds, before he even decided what to make his next bid he has two places that are identified by their GPS address. One is a residence in Dubai. One is a residence in LA. 

Tony is waiting confirmation on his latest bid. On his screen he sees a confirmation. "Solange1723 you are the winner in the auction for Louis Tomlinson. You will get instructions on where and when to pick up this prize in two weeks. Thank you for playing."

"Wait? What? Are your fucking kidding me?" Tony says aloud to himself. He's just spent billions in bitcoin to buy another human for purpose of sexual slavery and he's been put on hold for two weeks! 

Tony considers the two locations where there are persons he was engaging with. Dubai is only fast if he goes all Ironman to get there but the LA location is close. It is in fact a wealthy residential area that years ago Tony considered buying a mansion. Is that LA address the home of the other bidder? Or is it the person operating the illegal trade? If it's the latter could Louis actually be that close?


	15. Chapter 15

The LA mansion Tony goes to has a significant security system. This has no impact on Tony. He's able to infect the programming of the gates at the entrance of the expansive mansion and simply drives through and parks the red Ferrari he's driving at the apex of the drive a few feet away from the front steps of the home.

Security cameras are tracking his motion as Tony walks up the steps buttoning his suit jacket. His appearance is crisp and neat. 

Tony's eyes are hidden by his signature sunglasses. A bystander would be totally unaware of the tech he has put into the glasses. While not as extreme as the Ironman suit these sunglasses actually give Tony some advantages. He can use an infrared to see the heat of something like a body if they are approaching from behind a wall or door. The glasses can enable Tony to detect metals, such as if a person is carrying a concealed weapon. 

With all his technology Tony's not surprised that there is no one coming to the front door as of yet. Alarms are silent, what Tony used as he approached the front gate is making this the least affront, reining back surprising a potentially unwelcoming party to his impromptu visit by coming in sounding alarms. Whether it's the opposing bidder whose redsince he approaches or the the person he's just sent an astonishing sum of money to, being Ironman, at their front door is likely to be somewhat of shock.

He rings the bell.

Nothing.

It's a huge estate.

He rings the bell again. 

More of nothing. Tony is just checking his watch for identity of the owner of this residence when the door opens as the search reveals the estate is owned by a Paul McKenna, celebrity hypnotist. The man who gualks at Tony from inside with a puzzled consorted face is the same man whose image Tony is looking at on his watch, Paul McKenna. He is an older man, unimpressively average looking, glasses. The nature of his posture strikes Tony as somewhat pathetic. But the business of aiding celebrities must be great because the estate is impressive,even as only viewed from the front entry. 

McKenna looks out past Tony, at the car and around the front of the estate in general. He's confused. His million dollar security system has given no protection. And here stands...

"Ironman?" Paul sputters out in a question. His face is still riddled with confusion.

Tony takes off his sunglasses and walks over the threshold like an invited guest. "Tony Stark, and it's Paul, right, Paul McKenna?"

Standing face to face with Tony this Paul looks no less confused. Paul glances outside one last time before shutting the door. A dog comes bounding up at that moment. Tony recognizes the dog. He's seen it before though it was not in the flesh. He knows it is the slightly blurred dog from a video of Louis a some months ago. 

At this point Tony is certain. It had been 50/50 whether he'd be at the competing bidder's home or the operator of the sex slave brokering the auction of Louis Tomlinson.

Tony speaks again to dismiss confusion. "Stark, or perhaps you know me as Solange, Solange 1728."

Paul's face goes white. He calls out loudly to someone who is apparently up stairs. "You better get down here now!" 

Tony replays in his typical snappy manner he's famed for. "Your face suggests you're wondering how I got through the front gate without triggering alarms. It's called being Ironman." Tony walks a few more feet into the foyer and makes his demands. "I believe you have something I've purchased. Here to collect. Not waiting two weeks."

That's when the surprise turns on Tony. Walking down the massive curved stairs is none other than One Director creator, Simon Cowell. Simon's face bares an expression of surprise. He's obviously as shocked as Paul he approaches closer to Tony Stark, Ironman.

Simon reaches the landing at the base of the steps having kept his eyes on Tony the entire time. Once face to face with Tony he looks to Paul. Paul's looks at Simon and says, "This is our winning bidder, Solange."

Simon coughs. His shock strikes him mute momentarily. He blinks slowly a couple times like the surprise is too much to apprehend. 

Slowly Simon speaks. "So, So, So-lange. Tony Stark, Ironman, world's greatest playboy, playboy womanizer, is Solange?"

Tony nods and makes it clear. "Yes. And you have something of mine. I'm not waiting two weeks. I take it he's upstairs?"

Who would guess it was Simon Cowell of all people who was behind the disappearance of one of his own precious boys. But then anyone who followed the band could sense with Simon and Louis there was a thing. A friction. A secret.

Tony takes to striding up the stairs without delay. Once on the second floor he's passing rooms taking a quick glance as almost every door is open except one. Simon and Paul are hurrying behind him like they are the guest unfamiliar with their own home. Clearly they are unprepared for Solange to be Stark. 

At the end of the hall is one closed door. The layout of the mansion suggests the most expansive room is at the end of this extremely wide hall, a hall so wide that it has occasional overstuffed chairs along its length as well as side tables all splendidly adorned with fresh flower bouquets. Everything down to the fine Persians rugs that are along the corridor screams opulence and wealth. With taste like this it's no wonder that pretty things need to go to auction to support the lavishness that Simon and Paul live in.

Behind Tony Simon and Paul are tracking along, protesting the invasion, the violation of their privacy. It's all clear to Tony now. It should have been obvious. After all, Tony's obsession with Louis lead him into the rabbit hole of all things One Direction. While he preferred the fan fiction and the fan art that was less wholesome than publically promoted video, there was plenty of times Tony watched what was 1D news, performances. Many times Tony saw how Simon interacted with the boys and other boy bands too. It seemed to Tony that Simon had a secret thing for boys. Simon's public life portrayed a different image. Given how Tony lived a lie he could easily see the lies promoted by others. 

One glance at these old men's hands and Tony knew instantly. Those were the hands he'd seen touching, caressing, holding, biting into Louis in pictures and video. Paul and Simon are lovers apparently, it's clear from how they are scurrying along behind Tony protesting his intrusion in unison like they are in this, everything, together. Why the two weeks wait, why they keep saying come back in two weeks, why?

Do they need to take the last of their fill of pleasure? 

Tony won't comply. His must have Louis now.

He swings open the closed French door at hall's end and sure enough on the other side is a massive master suite. 

Behind the doors everything is as expensively decorated as the rest of the rooms in the home that Tony has seen. Floor to ceiling windows reveal extensive second floor patios reach out from the windows providing an over look of the grounds below. The way reflections come off from the grounds below suggests there is pool out there too. Clearly it's the pool Tony has seen Louis playing in and lounging beside especially in the beginning days of video clips, back in the days when Louis was happy in the updates sold to subscribers by these men.

Central between two of such massive, grounds-overlooking windows is a large bed. Laying on the bed, somewhat covered someone not is a form. The gorgeous skin tone suggests that this is, what did they call Louis in their message at auction's end, "his prize".

The futility of any hope of stopping Tony becomes apparent to them, Simon and Paul stop all their pursuit and protesting. 

Tony moves slowly now as the distance between he and the unmoving form of Louis narrows.

Reaching bedside Tony sits. What Tony discovers is mix of indesbriable beauty and heartbreaking revelation. 

Louis is sleeping with a pile of the top bed sheet messily draped every which way hinting that Louis was unrestful for sometime before he stilled. About half of his body is exposed and much of the skin shows marks from bruises, new and old, some rope burns on the one visible wrist. Even the skin on his neck, he's facing away is tinged green like a bruise there was nearly gone.

It's unbelievable. All of it. This is really the long lost Louis. An unimaginable beauty. Evidence of long standing sexual abuse abounds. As of some hour or so ago, this became property of Tony Stark not that Tony would ever agree people can own other people. 

He glances just a spit second to the other two men and glares. Their faces bare the embarrassment and so,e fear. They've done this. What next?

Tony looks back and just ever so lightly puts fingertips on Louis' bare shoulder. 

Bam. It a flash Tony gets a knee to his head as Louis, apparently startled, erupts from sleep into immediate fight mode. The knee strike sends Tony to the floor as he sees stars for a a second or two. 

Paul and Simon leap forward taking to the bed. Their exacting, coordinated actions suggests they've done this many times, as do Louis' bruises. Paul compresses Louis at his core grappling to pin an arm too, Simon goes right for striking Louis directly across the face. This subdues Louis who seems dazed he has no fight with that and simply stares up breathing hard. 

Simon pulls back, he also pulls Paul back and he spits out a curse at Louis, "Always such a sassy little cunt these days, aren't we? Stay there and stop being a fucking bitch."

"That was a fight you might really regret, princess." Paul adds.

Tony rises off the floor. "He's used to fighting you clearly, my mistake to startle him, but it's a far worse thing for you to ever think of touching him again. E v e r!"

"Seems you don't know what you've bargained for." Simon says. On his face is the snarky Simon Cowell expression he is famed for. But Stark is Stark. He doesn't give a fuck.

Again Tony goes bed side but just to sit and speak softly. Louis flinches, looks straight up, continues breathing like he's ready for a fight but is afraid to look at its source. That he doesn't even look at Tony rips at Tony's heartstrings. 

"Sorry to touch you, not my intention to cause you..." He pauses. There is a fresh mark from Simon's hand showing red marring what beneath is perfect skin and perfect cheekbones. "...this." 

Louis almost pants like he's still expecting more but he turns his head slowly toward Tony. It's the strangest thing because Tony is looking to make contact with Louis' blue eyes but Louis is vacant like he's looking past Tony rather than at him. 

Louis is dazed, Tony thinks. The strike traumatized him. 

"Louis look at me. I'm not here to hurt you. I won't touch you unless you give me permission."

Behind Tony there's a snort. It doesn't matter which man did the noise. Tony would like to hurt them both. As Louis has shifted Tony sees that there are numerous marks everywhere on his body suggesting two weeks was the minimum needed for them to fade. So naturally, Tony assumes, Louis' expression is vacant because he's stunned, abused.

Repeating his pledge to Louis and ignoring the men behind him Tony asks Louis to look at him. Louis seems incapable, or perhaps, afraid. So Tony assures Louis again that he won't hurt him. Tony repeats to Louis that he won't touch Louis unless permitted.

Simon addresses this pledge. "A few things you should know Solange, this cunt won't give you permission, I'm betting. He's no more capable of that than he is of seeing you. He's blind. It's all a dark room to him. Also, don't expect that he'll be impressed by who you are, what you are. He's got no memory going back to the day we plucked him off the ground from a nasty fall he took that emptied his head of his memories and his sight. He knows what we've told him. That he's been a slut selling his body to the highest bidder for years, living hand to mouth on the streets since he was twelve. He knows he's for men's pleasure. We took him into our home and he was grateful to us at first. Before the sass began. You own him now. Do with him as you wish. You don't need his permission to touch him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very bad at sci-fi and medical stuff. This is a work of dark fiction, me finding a way to spin off a lot of dark pain. Apologies that it is what it is.


	16. Chapter 16

It was very little that Tony took when Simon and Paul decided to give up the two week wait and shove a collection of things, Louis' things, into a small duffle. The bag was no bigger than a overnight bag. It contained little more than a hoodie and a assortment of different pills which Simon asserted were absolutely necessary. 

Tony told Louis he was coming with him. Adding one word after the directive.

"Please."

When Simon and Paul heard "please" following the instruction both scoffed. 

Tony ignored them. He spoke only to Louis. "Or you can stay, but please, come with me. Come on. Sit up."

Sharpening his tone Tony snaps at the two men who are making chiding sounds behind him. "He needs some clothes."

Paul goes to the side of the room and brings a pile of clothes that he unceremoniously drops beside Louis on the bed. Louis grabs them like clothes are a treasured thing. He begins to rapidly pull them on. He's totally unaware the tee is going on inside out. 

Tony is glad to see him just get his body covered because as Tony was examining Louis as he was sat up it was truly heartbreaking to see the bruises. Louis' ribs, always so easy to see given his build were riddled with them. Once the shirt is on Louis puts a hoodie on over the shirt. The pants are sweats. In his pile he had no socks or shoes. Apparently there was nothing like boxers or briefs either. There is a beanie. Louis puts that on too. When he's all dressed it transforms his look. He appears no less dazed but somehow...more tiny and vulnerable. Maybe it's the was that the sleeves of the hoodie extend over his hands because he's so small. Or the way a lock of hair comes out from under the beanie only to take a line along Louis' face beside the new set bruise, the one from Simon's slap minutes ago.

Softly speaking to Louis again Tony says, "So I take it that you'll come with me then?"

Louis nods. He seems confused. 

"Take my hand." Tony suggests and his fingertips along graze the tips' of Louis' giving Louis orientation. 

When Louis' hand fully takes ahold of Tony's it feels like electric to Tony. This small, stirring buzz of electricity that this is Louis' hand pressing into his. 

Tony pulls Louis from the bed. They both hear another snort from each of the men. Simon pushed the small duffle at Tony. "You'll need these."

"What is this?" Tony asks because he hears the rattle of bottles, the bags configuration seem light on anything like clothes.

"Pills. And another hoodie he likes. Mostly pills though. Trust me. You'll need them. He has no sense of time, day, night. The sleeping pills are particularly useful."

"Oh so you're saying to drug him as a way of scheduling him, sleeping pills to force a night, probably amphetamine sulphate to wake him." The suggestion from Tony was dismissive and snarky in delivery but Simon came back with a equally combative reply.

"No, no we didn't ever give him speed to wake him. We'd just give him a good fucking and he could choose to wake or not. In the end he is just a whore, likes his chance to cum, fucking wakes him nicely."

Tony finds the remark unexpectedly crushing. He pulls on Louis' hand gently. "Come on Louis. Let's get you out of here."

At the start of the drive there is silence between them. It's dark now. Tony is glad for it.

Louis is sitting with his hands together and holding them near his mouth. Tony thinks Louis might be biting his nails. After thirty minutes of quiet Louis says, "Is it far to your house?"

"No, not far. We're half way. Did they take you out for drives or anything very often."

"No. Never."

It's quiet again for a couple minutes. Of course they wouldn't take Louis out. Tony admits to himself that he's glad it's dark. Passersby can't see into his car but he's got a missing person with him. A famous missing person. Extra cover of darkness feels essential. As he's brimming with guilt for smuggling Louis home instead of to the authorities Louis speaks again.

"Is your house nice?"

"Yes, yes. Very different than most though. I do most of my work there so that space is massive. I have an extensive collection of cars, some other high-tech gear. Both of those areas are extraordinary."

Before Louis can speak again Tony asks him. "You really don't remember the name Tony Stark?"

Shaking his head Louis replies with a slight tremble to his voice that he fears what he doesn't know. "I should though, your famous or something?" 

"I'm not sure if it's famous or better qualified as infamous."

Louis is nodding. He seems more apprehensive. Infamous may have been the wrong word. 

"How old are you?"

"45."

Louis nods. 

Tony adds to the picture. "Dark hair, brown eyes, nice enough to look at." He keeps it modest.

Louis nods more. It's becoming clear that as much as Louis wanted to get away from the hell he was in with Simon and Paul there is a fear of the new looming. He's still nodding. He still has his fingers of both hands at his mouth. He's got to be biting them.

"Listen to me Louis. I'm not like most people. I always know exactly what I want. What I can do, what I won't. What I want from you is for you to feel safe. Safe. I can take care of you. I will. What I won't do is hurt you. Ever. I won't do to you what they have, forced sex. I won't touch you unless I have permission. Except to guide you. You'll need a while to learn the space in your new surroundings. Okay? I promise I won't hurt you. I won't do that, to you."

Louis looks in Tony's direction which is odd because he can't see. He's got another burning question. "Why did you buy me then? Did we, before the fall, was I with you or something?"

"Sure, I knew of you. It was a complete accident that I found the porn they made with you. I bought you because it cripples me to see how you were being used, like sex with you should be anything other than a great honor." Tony takes an exit off a main road and pulls over. He has to look at Louis to read the certainty of Louis' understanding.

"Louis you do know that you are gorgeous, don't you? Like to die for gorgeous."

Louis shakes his head no. "They used to tell me I was pretty. Mostly like pretty with dick in my mouth. Or being fucked, they'd tell me a was beautiful like that. But they stopped a long time ago. Now they just call me slut, whore, cunt, bitch. It's not important what I look like. Just that I am worthless. Lucky for me they wanted to use me, so they said again and again."

Louis is back to facing forward, nodding and keeping his fingers at his mouth. He's trembling slightly. It feels like Tony's heart is tearing except he knows he has this devise keeping him intact.

"No Louis. No, you are not worthless. Everything they said about you is wrong. They've said to make you submit to them and reject your self worth so they could control you. From here on there will only be believing that you are beautiful. Anyone would want to be with you. Men, women, anyone."

Louis seems to shed some anxiety. He puts his hands between his thighs and drops his head. Tony wonders if he's trying not to cry. Sensing this is a lot for Louis to absorb Tony returns to driving. He's feeling shame for not telling Louis everything. Who he is, how much he's loved, how remarkable his life is before the abduction...but, the obsession, Tony's obsession obscures rational judgement. 

Maybe Tony can give this just a few days. A few days, if only for the pleasure of looking at Louis in the flesh. The voice in his head reminds Tony that this is not a puppy one picks up at the shelter. This is serious.


	17. Chapter 17

Arriving at his home Tony drives through his hanger size entry to the parking of his estate. This is a sub floor like a parking garage but underground because, Stark being Stark, he has a lot of toys and he needs a lot of space for them. He chose to build his garage underground; the entirety of his structure for work and play is built into a cliff. The estate overlooks the ocean. 

Parked, Tony goes to open the door for his prize. Tony can read how nervous Louis is as Tony offers Louis a hand. Louis accepts the offer. He puts one, then two small, bare feet on the ground and he stands. The massive doors were still open. A breeze is coming in through the opening. 

"I smell the ocean." Louis says. His tone is at least optimistic if not boarderline excited. 

Tony doesn't rush to close the massive doors. The way Louis recognized something and knew it instantly without sight is a sign of how his neural networks are building up what other senses he has. Smell, sound...touch. Tony considers this realization very useful to understanding Louis' world, sightless, in darkness, no memory of self and a whole lot of living with abuse. Tony makes certain to keep his hand's hold of Louis' firm, but not too firm. The swift kick to head earlier confirmed Tony's appreciation for Louis' sensitivity to touch; Tony will give Louis firm guidance, but not too firm. Offer it differently. 

Kind. 

Confident. 

"Yes Louis! My home is on the ocean front. If you like tomorrow we can go out to the beach. My house is on a bluff, cliff. So we will have to walk down to where it's sandy. If you allow me to take you, the access is treacherous especially when you can't see, but we can go the beach. If you want."

There is almost a smile from Louis. Tony's offer must make him want to trust. Louis reaches out his other hand making it so just his fingertips are in each of Tony's hands. Tony's hand are cupped up. Louis' cupped down. Neither is giving much pressure. But there remains almost a s m i l e. And for that almost-a-smile Tony feels a little less guilty, a little more empowered. He can heal Louis. 

For tonight however... 

Tony leads Louis up a broad set of stairs. This puts them on the second level, Tony's massive work space. 

"This is where I do most of my work. Unless I'm partnering on a project with others or something." Tony says. He's aware Louis has a hint about its cavernous size. Such a big space, big enough for Ironman's toys which can’t be done in a broom closet. For the first time Tony considers how he's never thought about his auditorium-like workshop. It's usually full of noises he's making either fabricating, interacting with Jarvis, conference calling with teams or simply blasting music like he does constantly when he’s alone with his work. The almost-smile Louis had is gone, a hint of trepidation is in its place. Louis asks. 

"Your work? So that's the thing you're infamous for..." 

The way Louis suspends his thought suggest he regrets his words. Tony decided the best approach is simple and direct. No need to go into too much. 

"I do arms technology. It's very controversial. Come on, Louis, another set of steps and I'll introduce you to your new home." It's sounds funny to Tony himself to tell Louis this is his home. Like Louis had a choice in any of this. Louis looks tired. Maybe it's the strain. 

The next floor up is the first floor of living space. Tony walking backwards thorough the home he knows so well still cupping Louis' fingertips in his hands leading Louis around as he moves backwards. The act of walking backwards makes Tony aware of how alien navigating must be, if you're blind. If you're Louis. 

He leads Louis through the common living spaces first. Things like living, cooking, entertaining space. This floor of Tony's house could consume even an impressive mansion in LA terms. 

Again, Tony realizes how hard the world must be for Louis. 

They continue. Tony's physical training and fitness areas are on this floor. It includes a outdoor pool built on an extension of the floor extending outside from a series of glass doors. The pool has several levels, waters of different temperatures, and around it is a beautiful series of tress and flowers all growing from enormous pots. The largest pool is very much the ultimate infinity pool as it goes over the precipice of the cliff, designed as only Stark could do. 

As Tony bring Louis through the area around the pool he hopes for the smile again. In Tony's mind is his memory of Louis at the Simon and Paul's pool. The first time Tony saw Louis in a video he was on a giant shark floaty toy. Naked. His bronze bare bum lifted for all its glory. His firm, succulent thighs gripping the pool toy. Then there was another time Tony covets the memory of. Louis sitting poolside, on a lounge chair, naked again, his beauty, golden skin perfection resting, asleep apparently and the puppy came to lick him. The way Louis laughed. 

Could Tony make Louis laugh again? Could anyone? Or did Simon and Paul take that away from him like they took everything else?

"Do you like pools?" Tony asks despite knowing Louis must. 

"Yes. But once Simon got really angry at me. I never knew why. He took the radio I was listening to and threw it into the pool as he yelled. He was screaming at me, pushing me. I didn't know why. Then he picked me up and threw me into pool. The next thing I knew Simon was in the water too; he was on me. He nearly drowned me. After that I was afraid to go near the pool." Louis seems more tired. He sounds weary. Any hope Tony had of a smile from him about the pool is crushed. 

Tony reminds Louis of his promise. He won't be hurt by Tony. Tony suggests they finish the tour, see the upper floor, bedrooms. 

It's clear that on the top floor there are numerous rooms, likely with beds. All are passed without mention as Tony leads him. Louis seems aware of this. He has to be. But when they get to the grandest room of them all, Tony's room, the tour concludes. 

"This is where you will sleep." Tony says as he takes Louis by hand with his steps moving them backwards around the spacious room where numerous items like chairs and other furniture are itemized for Louis by Tony's identifiers until they near a large bed. On the wall over the headboard are three works by fan artists of Louis. This is surprisingly awkward for Tony now even though Louis can't see them. 

Tony doesn't identify the art. Why would he? But it's weird. Looking at the three large pieces hanging on the wall over the bed while looking at the real Louis here with him in the foreground. 

Art-Louis in one piece is standing wearing a peacock blue silken gown like tunic with artist rendition of Harry standing behind him. Harry in the image is bitting Louis' shoulder and gripping his body. It's a work by Karukara for the fiction "I Hunger for Your Beautiful Embrace". In the middle of the series of three fan artist works is a different artist's perspective. Louis is naked, blindfolded and rope bound. He's sitting on his heals ready for taking. And last, not least, is another piece by Karukara with Louis and Harry in depicted graphically during sex. It's so stirring, like the artist must have been there for the perfection of every detail the work includes. 

But Louis can't see these. Nor can he see Tony. If he could Louis would see hunger stirring in Tony with the reality of having Louis here inches from his bed. It’s seeping into Tony’s psyche. 

With the proclamation about where Louis will sleep issued Tony drops the contact between their hands. "Are you tired?" 

It's dark. It's late. It's a reasonable question. 

Tony hedges. "Or not, you were sleeping earlier. Are you tired? Or hungry, thirsty?" 

"I wasn't sleeping. Earlier. If you mean when I was in their bed. I was recovering. Hoping they were done with their, what they called, their last celebration. I was not asleep." 

The way Louis burst into action with Tony's touch earlier, now makes complete sense. 

Tony pushes aside his lust. "So, are you hungry? Thirsty?" 

"Where do you sleep?" Louis asks ignoring the questions. He is pushing one leg against the side of the bed. He puts a hand down on the mattress to get a tactile sense of it. 

"Here. I sleep here." 

Tony regrets the honesty of his answer immediately. Louis' expression is one of mortification. Trust is gone. His lips press together and Louis swallows hard. Mortified describes his expression. 

Tony touches Louis in his rush to explain himself and Louis jumps away. 

"I'm sorry. Sorry. But like I said I won't hurt you. It's a promise." Tony barks out. 

The retort from Louis to that comes fast and with scorching directness. "Promise, like you won't touch me promise, or are there several classes of promises?" 

Ouch. The Tomlinson sass. Whatever Louis lost in the accident that befell him, sight, memories, his freedom, he certainly didn't loose his innate self. Sassiness is in his core. This is what Simon eluded to as he was content to sell Louis off to the highest bidder. 

"That was wrong of me, sorry. Again, I promise Louis, I won't touch you, unless asked or in need to guide you, but I need a little time to adjust. It's easy to forget." 

Louis snorts and crosses his arms taking a stance as laiden in sacrcasm as the words that follow. "As if it's any easier to remember." 

A knife could never cut as painfully as the words. Tony wants to grab Louis right then and there and pull their bodies together. He wants to kiss Louis and promise him endless happiness. He wants to take all the pain Louis is speaking from and peel it away. Just like he wants to peel off Louis' clothes and put feelings of pleasure so deep in Louis that Louis can only want Tony again and again, more and more. 

"It will be easier if you can let me try again. I promise. I won't touch you except to guide you. That includes in this bed but we are sleeping together. Here. In this bed. Mine. I won't hurt you. Promise." 

Louis' jaw hardens. His body makes a few unconscious adjustments like his shoulders tighten and his crossed arms tighten too. He seems resigned to remain mute like he doesn't know what to do. 

What can he do? 

Tony tries to sound firm but kind. He keeps it short and direct. "Eat, drink, sleep?" 

Louis puts his head down like he's ashamed. Obviously, he's gutted. 

"Um, actually they cleaned me up earlier, some, but I'm still wrapped in their stench. Can I bathe? I need to have them off of me. Please?" 

Again Tony gets a feeling like his heart has a crack in it from what Louis said just then. Again he knows he's got a device keeping his heart intact. It hits him that Louis' head is down because he's not showing his face. He is fighting tears. 

"Oh, sorry, of course! I'm so sorry Louis. Here, take my hand. Do you want a bath, a shower?" 

"Shower please. They are still, um, little dribbles, sometimes, I, I need the smell of them off of me from their 'celebration', you know. How much did you give them anyway? For me? They said "Solange" must be stupid, but loaded." 

It's a question Tony won't answer.

*** 

.

Louis navigated well in the bathroom once Tony led him throughout its layout. The spaciousness of the bathroom made it easier for Louis. For Tony too. Following a tenuous at best start, fulfilling Louis' request at a bathing was easy. The layout, the operation of shower handles, where towels would be, usual bathroom stuff. 

What Louis didn't know was how Tony left Louis to undress and bathe in privacy, but he actually didn't ever let Louis out of his sight. He made the sounds like he was exiting. But with a bathroom so large it was easy, afterall it even had a pair of lightly padded long back chairs with covered in French silk to relaxingly sit on. Tony set Louis up, let things unfold. He watched. 

Louis' clothes drop off his body and for yet another time Tony's heart drops too. 

Here Louis is exposed before Tony. He is an exquisitely lovely boy. His thighs are shapely. His arms too. A thin waiste accentuates a round, full bum. Hips that are defined. Aside from that his entire frame is just architectural. But all over Louis' entire body from neck to calves are marks in an array of colors; red, purple, blue, green, yellow and brown. Marks are like the reminants of all sorts of bruises, bites, cuts and lashings made by things Tony can't know. Louis enters the shower, a shower large enough for a pair of horses, Tony takes this as his chance to exit. He waits outside the bathroom taking his turn at biting on his fingers. How does he fix this? 

*** 

It's nearly an hour later when Louis opens the bathroom door wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. He faintly calls out "Tony?" 

"Lord," Tony thinks, "so small, delicate." 

"I'm here. Here, take my hand." 

There is the feeling again as their hands touch. It's when Louis lays the tips of his fingers on those of Tony's. Tony walks them back toward the bed. He so desperately wants to take the towel away, lay this boy down, kiss every inch of him and then... 

Touching the bedside with the back of his calves, Tony stops. He turns them so Louis is beside the bed and he assists Louis to gently sit. After all Tony has now seen the bruises that are abundant on Louis' arse. 

"Okay. So hungry? Thirsty? Tired?" 

Louis looks exhausted. He sounds, again resigned. He's clearly expecting Tony to take him. His shower took almost an hour. Clearly he was processing. Accepting. Enduring. Or preparing to. 

"Tired" Louis says. "Very, very tired."

"Lie down. Please Louis," Tony says as he pulls covers back easily taking them under the sitting Louis by pulling from bed's head to feet. "I'll cover you, then you can slip the towel out. I'll join you in a few minutes but my promise remains. I won't touch you. Just know I'm over there," Tony says "over there" to emphasize a far-away reference. "...if you need me, on the other side of this bed." 

Louis lies back. His eye lids close. He looks so peaceful. As Tony pulls covers over Louis he again wants only to... But he resists. He knows Louis can't see the lights in the room, but he turns them off all the same. Retiring to the bath to get himself ready for sleep he returns to the room, the bed, taking the far side and tries to run his thoughts through what the next day will be. 

Then it begins. A few hours after a Tony lies down. 

Louis stirs. He flips. 

Soon after settling like he’s restful Louis stirs again. He flips, again. He tosses in bed. Most certainly not restful. 

A gnawing idea enters Tony's head. The advice of Simon. The pills. Somewhere in the recess of Tony's mind he thinks he's heard that people who have a total darkness type of blindness experience other secondary problems too. They don't have a sense of time. Sleeplessness and eating disorders, depression is common. 

At 9AM Louis finally goes to sleep. Tony knows this because for nearly ten hours he's been awake struggling for what he can do. On the few times Louis seemed to doze in the night he burst to wakeful mix of dream and in wakeful visions, a function of the sightless. So at nine when Louis went into a deep sleep Tony relaxes too. 

Light crosses the room. They both sleep. 


	18. Chapter 18

It's noon when Tony wakes realizing he's sleeping midday. Despite having a completely wakeful night right up until about nine in the morning Tony has something he needs to do. He leaves the bed and the room quietly as he can as it's clear Louis is soundly sleeping. 

Down in the car Tony finds the small overnight bag which only holds minimal things. Taking the bag he goes up to his workspace and begins research. After a few hours Tony has learned a lot through reading as many primary literature articles in as many medical and science journals as he can.

Sleep disorders are a common problem for persons who have a type of blindness that makes their world one of total darkness. Eating disorders are common too. Tony decides he'll need to work on that with Louis because so far Louis has expressed no interest in food. Depression is another common problem for those who are blind, particular those lacking light ques. Ah, yeah, depresssion. How can that not be affecting Louis given his situation. 

Next order of business is medications for sleeplessness. Apparently, Simon has been using the right stuff. That is if he dosed it properly. The name of the prescribing doctor is on the bottles. Tony researches the LA based doctor. He discovers that the man is commonly linked to a network of plastic surgeons. No surprise. He probably gave Simon the prescription and has made no effort to see how Simon is using the meds. 

Armed with information Tony decides he should immediately get Louis on a schedule. Sleeping, eating, exercise. At three o'clock in the afternoon Tony decides Louis has had enough sleep if he's going to acclimate to sleeping at night beginning today. 

Upstairs Louis is still solidly out. He's got his tummy side down and his head is partly under his pillow. Tony whispers "Louis" from where he sits bedside close to Louis. 

A few increasingly louder calls of Louis' name get no response. 

Tony doesn't dare touch Louis. He considers that Simon claimed the standard way to wake Louis was by fucking him. Pulling back the sheets some Tony swallows hard with the impact of seeing this boy laying naked in his bed. Looking beyond the bruises and marks, it's so beautiful to behold. 

Louis has one leg bent and hiked up a slight bit. The effect is to magnify the impact of his entirely too perfect booty. How does a boy end up with an ass like that? It has to be the gift from some god. The dimple on each side where bum meets waist calls to Tony. The fullness, a roundness of the bum cheeks calls for his touch too. Smooth skin, it looks like velvet. Tony wants to touch all of it. 

But promises.

Giving the bed sheets several hard tugs while saying "Louis" has no effect on the slumbering Louis either. Stealing the pillow doesn't. Tony tries diverting some air from a small fan at Louis who is now completely uncovered and all that does is make Louis roll into a ball and put his arms up across his head.

Tony considers he has two choices. He is desired not to touch. The promises. 

Returning from the kitchen Tony has an ice tray. Louis has shifted again. He's back to lying face down with his glorious bum once more revealed. His lower back has a perfect slope for maintaining anything placed there so Tony considers this fortunate. 

Tony drops an ice cube onto Louis back from an inch above and the effect is immediate.

Louis jumps, shrieks and immediately begins a string of curses.

It would be funny if Tony didn't feel so bad seeing how Louis was shocked awake, probably way too soon too because there are dark circles under his eyes and he's totally disoriented. He first is cursing Simon and Paul for a few seconds until he begins to get the recall of being brought here. His cursing is directed at Tony, or as he refers to him "Fooking infamous arse".

"Promised no touching, seems like this was the only way to accomplish waking you."

"So it's morning?"

"No, no. It's afternoon, it's 3:30."

"So why the fook did you wake me?"

Louis is not the slightest happy, that is clear.

"Last night I promised to take you down to the ocean. The right tide is nearing. I needed to wake you up."

Tony's gamble is rewarded. Louis is immediately less gruff. His face softens. He turns toward Tony's voice and he looks excited. 

"You did promise?" 

"I said I would. If I say I will do something for you that is my word. I promised then."

"I don't have anything to wear. My sweats need washing."

Tony gives a little laugh. "I'll find you some swim shorts. Besides it's pretty private online my corner of California's shore. I sighted my home here because it's hard to access the beach from the beach north and south of here due to tides. So that's why we have to go soon."

Tony pulls out some swim trunks. He's 6'1" so when Louis dons a pair of Tony's trunks and they hang on him such that it is truly not, not, not appropriate. While they cover most of the area, they don't sit at the waist because they can't be tighten enough. So they hang low. The effect is to reveal the top third of Louis' plump bum, some of the crack stopped only by the swell of his bum at its fullest point. The end result is to fulfill every gay man's dream of seeing Louis in swim shorts.

No. This will not work.

After a thorough search through his clothing Tony decides a body hugging set of boxers is the only option. Later he will order some proper clothes for Louis. In men's he clearly needs an XS. Maybe an XXS. His smallest of boxers are still intirely too loose.

It's then that Tony decides to go to one of the other bedrooms which he has maintained a stock of women's clothing for unexpected guests. The collection of attire are reminants of a time in Tony's life when he routinely, brought home beautiful women, somethings a few at a time and without some prior relationship because he was fulfilling a playboy life style of many adolescent boy's dream. Somewhere during that time Tony developed an awareness for better panning so every woman who stayed one night didn't end up doing the mundane thing of trying to fashion something from his silk dress shirts when they didn't want to return to a skimpy cocktail dress as their only option. So it was that Tony also stocked an array of women's swim suits as it wasn't completely out of the realm of reality that if someone dropped in, like Roadie, Tony would rather not have his temporary guest naked should she choose to relax between interludes at the pool. 

Sure enough among many bikini and one piece suits was one two piece swimsuit that had a boxer type bottom. Leaving the top Tony brought the surfer girl style garment piece to Louis. Louis slipped them on and it was quite a sight. Tony felt himself more arroused by seeing Louis slightly clothed than when he was entirely bare. 

It is because of the way Louis fills out the tiny boxers. They covered all the necessary things, sure. But the way they only served to emphasize his booty, reveal his frontal anatomy, eccentuate his small waist. The back of the waistline fell just below those hip dimples adding to their appeal too. Adding to all of it is the way the salmon color is contrasting to Louis' bronze skin making the whole look about as sexy as anything Tony could ever wish for. 

"Okay then, that'll do!" Tony says as he rips off his clothes and throws on a pair of swim trunks in a flash. "Off to the beach then, shall we." 

*** 

The climb down to the beach is more or less just that. It is treacherous. Louis accepts every offer of contact from Tony and doesn't shy away if it's not just fingertips in craddling, upturned hands. There are a couple places where Tony literally needs to put an arm around Louis' waist or give him a brief lift. Any fear Louis had of being touched he has shed for sake of beach. 

They reach sand and Louis falls to his knees and sticks his finger in the sand shoveling the grains as he pushes his hands forward and giggles. 

He fucking giggles! 

It ironic that Louis is sitting bum on heels, knees spread apart and on the ground, it's precisely the position of the fan artist's image of Louis in one of the pictures that hangs over Tony's bed. While Louis is not blindfolded or bound, but the similarity to the work of fantasy and this reality is not lost on Tony. 

The paradox is how playing with the sand just this way makes Louis more akin to a kid building a sand castle than anything sexual. Tony's heart warms. Louis is happy buying his hands in warm sand. Feeling sun and beach wind on his face. He turns like he's looking for his guide and says one word. 

"Ocean!" 

Jumping to his feet his bum jiggles noticeably in the revealing bottoms, "How far out is it to water?" 

"Figure that out for yourself" Tony says. He steps behind Louis looking down at the speactuclar arse and coming insanely close to loosing himself in his desire to put his lips on the place where neck and shoulder intercept. Resisting that he does put his hands ever so gently on either hip just above the waistline of the tiny surfer girl shorts and pushes Louis slightly as a directive nudge before dropping his hands away. "You ahead. Don't worry I'll be right behind you." 

Louis gave no signal the touch was offensive, he giggles again and steps forward one tenuous step at a time. When he reaches sand that is damp he bends down and plants his hands for a second and then runs into the water. 

Tony follows but he lets Louis get into the water as far as he wants without suggesting restraint, instead offering assurances. "Have at it Louis, I'm right here nearby." 

Louis fully embraces frolicking. He's goes quite deep, considering his world is its own sea, a sea of darkness. Nothing about the waves seems to make his enthusiasm for playing in the surf. He simply plays in whatever ebbs and flows that hit him. He plays and he laughs. He floats out on a receding wave, he floats back on another. He tries to chase a waves by touch and gets knocked back by miscalculations when the cadence shifts unexpectedly. He dives under more times that Tony thinks he can endure because of how each dives means Tony momentarily looses visual on Louis. It's soon enough each time that those salmon-pink bottoms surface almost like Louis' amazing booty is an actual floatation device. Through it all Louis laughing and happy. 

It's several hours later when the two of them are ascending the rocks and making their way to the house. Louis is chattering the entire climb. He's so happy like any kid who has just had a great afternoon at the beach that he seems to take the many varied touches of Tony's hands on his body in a necessary array of assist as this is natural and nothing out of the ordinary. Tony's glad Louis can't see. As they climb Tony occasionally has to use a hand not busy assisting Louis to push his bothersome erection he's sporting to a less provocative position. The sooner Tony can get to a bathroom and have a wank the better particularly as he has Louis' beautiful bum right before him here and there depending on who is climbing ahead as the uncertain terrain demands. 

Their accent arrives at the terrace edge. The sun is starting to set so the light is that dreamy, romantic light. The luminescence dances on Louis' skin as Tony turns them so both face out at a sight Louis can only imagine from memories so basic as to be the type his brain hasn't lost. 

Louis stops talking for the first time. "I should really shut up, shouldn't I?" 

Again the urge to kiss that intercept of neck and shoulder strikes Tony. He stays back not wanting that demanding erection to bump into Louis and replies, "I can listen to you endlessly when you're so happy babbling like that. Don't ever stop talking if you want to, if it makes you happy. Would like to know though, can you feel the warmth changing on your face with the setting sun?" 

Louis closes he's eyes. Like that's necessary? The way Louis chooses to do this makes Tony wonder if he could, assuming the erection would stop him standing away, slip himself tight behind Louis and wrap the lovely creature in his arms. Watch the sunset in a way where he studies it as an act of witnessing how the changes look on Louis' skin. 

"I do feel it changing. It is beautiful?" 

Tony is only looking at Louis when he answers. 

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: this idiot author knows nothing of medical realities and is terrible at sci-fi lore. Evidence of this is coming up soon.


	19. Chapter 19

Waking the morning after their beach excursion Tony again has a painful erection. The dream he was just having about Louis gave him this. The dream was a rewrite of their beach adventure. The dream was also full of the most obvious sorts of porn plot elements; Louis going down of Tony because of his elation with playing in the surf, them returning to the house showering together where Tony ate Louis out then fucked him with Louis pressed between shower wall and Tony's body. Oh and it didn't end there, of course they made love in bed with Louis under Tony, fucking face to face, Louis begging for it harder, faster, deeper. In otherwords, all the usual stuff. Slipping quietly out of bed as to not wake Louis yet Tony goes to take care of his erection and thinks of those dream images as he does so. 

Once he's relieved Tony decides to use the couple hours he expects Louis to sleep more to go work on his studies down in his shop. Yesterday was a success, he needs to learn more so he can keep things going positively with Louis.

The beach experience made for so many rapid advances transcending Louis from shell of himself to the naturally lovely person he was before some accident took that all away. Following the sunset they showered, separately, and Tony made dinner. As he prepared a feast he tried to learn what foods Louis liked. 

Notably when he asked what is Louis' favorite he found he held his breath because he half expected Louis to say something about "chicken wrapped in Parma ham". Louis did not. Tony talked about bakeries, bakery food, doing this to himself as some inexplicable need to test Louis' association, search for memories of Harry. Again Louis talked about foods in a way that he was clearly not associating the questions with past experiences, or people he knew. 

When bedtime came Tony felt good knowing he'd made Louis first day at his knew home good. He'd achieved getting Louis staring on a schedule exercise and food that his body needed to heal and be healthy. As they chatted while Tony waited for Simon's pills to take effect on Louis the good end to the day made Tony almost convince himself of things he knew aren't true.

He almost believed in only one day away from Simon and Paul the bruises and marks they made on Louis had subsided. If anything the newest ones were looking more pronounced. Obviously though they could not have receded Tony so much wanted to believe they had.

Another unrealistic thing Tony also was trying to convince himself of regarded this arrangement. He knows it could never be classified as normal. It can't, but he wants it to be. This is why he goes to his shop and ignores work he needs to do like a new conductor panel upgrade for Roadie's suit and researches Louis' condition.

Following a couple hours of reading and learning Tony leaves the Louis-studies aside. He turns to the microsize conductor panel he needs to make. He's not one to work in silence so he puts on music blaring knowing it won't carry up two floors and disturb Louis's sleep. As he works a playlist rotates between Fall Out Boy, Coldplay, Linkin Park and Imagin Dragons. Often Tony's music taste run to the metal heaviest of the classics but he's int he mood for something more modern. Rarely does he play pop. With Louis in his home he would never risk exposing him to One Direction. 

An hour tics by and Tony has just finished the panel. He turns off the music to go see about waking Louis when the abscence of background noise makes it so Tony hears a funny sound. Some thumps terminating with a thud. Rushing to the location of the thud, the base of the stairs, Tony finds indeed the sound was that of Louis having tumbled down the long stretch of steps. At their base he's curled up and craddling his hand and arm. He's face is pained. 

Tony swoops Louis into him. Louis gasps like it hurts. 

"Where are you hurt?" 

"Me wrist, it feels broken," 

Examining it Tony makes Louis winch despite efforts by Tony to not cause discomfort. Even given his limited expertise he is certain this is a sprain, not a break. Immediately he takes Louis in arms and carries him up the stairs. Setting him down gently Tony gets ice and ibuprofen. 

"I thought you'd sleep at least another hour, I'm sorry to have left you." 

Louis is relaxing like the ice is numbing the pain. "I called for you but after a bit I thought I could come down stairs to find you. From the main floor of your house I heard music, it was loud so I guessed I'd find you down another set of steps. I think I tripped on these." 

Indeed the track pants of Tony's are just too big and sloppy on Louis. He clearly had them rolled up but one came loose. Tony ordered some proper fitting clothes for Louis before he went to bed but they won't arrive until the next day. 

"How's the wrist now? Better?" 

Louis nods. He's adorable drowning in Tony's clothes. And he smells insanely good which Tony can't ignore because for whichever reason he is again letting Tony be close, touchingly close.

"This will help, take these. Keep the swelling from starting." 

"Thanks," Louis says taking the pills without question. "Might help with soreness too." 

"Sore? You mean the wrist has a throbbing sensation?" 

Louis shakes his head "no". "Not me wrist, me bum." 

Oh. 

Tony chokes. "Your, your, you're saying your sore from the stairs or from before?" 

Louis makes quotations with his free hand as he answers in two words "The celebration." 

Tony recalls that Louis had said he was "recovering" not sleeping when Tony touched him the first time. Now Tony knows exactly what Louis meant by that. 

"Louis, why didn't you tell me when I brought you home that you were hurting, or yesterday?" 

"Well you see it's a matter of trust isn't it. I don't know you. I still don't. I don't know why you paid for me if it's not for sex. I don't know anything about you except you're 'infamous' whatever that means. I know you have millions in cars and stuff downstairs. You make weapons or weapon tech. You live on a cliff with private beach access. Your house seems nice. I don't even know what you look like. You're 45. That's it." 

Louis has the lost look again. It bereaks Tony's heart. 

"Louis touch me." Tony says. 

Immediately Louis recoils pulling his legs in so he's a small thing in a very protective posture. 

Tony realizes how that sounds. What did Simon and Paul intend when they told Louis to touch them? 

"I don't mean like that. If you want to, touch me. I won't hurt you." 

Louis stands up and reaches out for Tony. The softness with which Louis' hands light onto Tony at first touch make him feel stronger than he has ever felt even in defeat of his most challenging adversary. Nimble fingers dance along Tony's shoulders. Starting there they travel up first. The way they glaze up his neck makes Tony transform from soft to hard in a split second. If he could just chance touching Louis as well too. 

He doesn't. He keeps still. Louis’ hands are sweeping up into Tony’s hair at the base of his skull. They slide forward and trace Tony's jawline. Louis obviously gets an image of Tony's manicured facial hair. He even comments. 

"You're meticulous about your appearance." 

It's an open statement. Does Louis like that? Or not. Based on what Tony knows Louis has liked in the past, the look of Harry Styles, this meticulous label could go either way. He keeps his response simple because actually his brain isn't interested in making words. It wants this touching to continue. Not take any risk and make Louis pull back away again. 

"Yes." 

Delicate fingers take in more of Tony's features; the way they brush over his lips is particularly excruciating to resist. Finally when the hands go on up into hair again they do something unexpectedly firm. As Louis' hands swoop downward Tony feels like Louis is going to... 

And he does. 

Louis grips the short short hair hard like one would do with a lover during sex. He does this with both hands, despite a painful wrist so this is a deliberate thing Louis wants to commit to. 

Try as he may Tony can't help but expel a gasp because the touch feels sexual. Tony's cock expels a glop of precum. Tony is sure a wet spot will show through his clothing. Thank you gods, Louis is blind. 

Fingers release,hair, slide on down to shoulders again. Their they grip. He's feeling Tony's stature. It's not Thor, but Tony's never had anyone complain. 

Soon enough Louis' hands are on Tony's biceps. Naturally, Tony anticipates this and has his biceps flexed. Tony hopes he is really seeing a look in Louis' face, like Louis had a skipping breath kind of look as he grips into Tony's muscles. Or so Tony hopes. Releasing biceps Louis' fingers roam to chest. There hands stop with each small hand placed perfectly centering over Tony's nipples. 

If Louis does anything remotely like raising nips with any tease Tony will have no control. Tony holds his breath. 

Louis slips back pulling his hands away for a second, like he's was getting a tiny bit too pleased about his hands search. 

He is unaware how his eyes that give him no sight can still reveal something like his interest is heightening. He puts his hands back right where they were, cupping over Tony's breasts. 

"Your very fit aren't you?" 

After that question Louis rips off many more without waiting for the answer to his first question. "How tall are you? What color is you hair? Your eyes? Are you any particular race?" 

So many questions make Tony pleased. The way Louis isn't removing his hands makes Tony even more pleased. Clearly Louis doesn’t remember that on the drive home the brief description Tony gave. 

"Okay," Tony says, "question one, no one has ever complained. Six one. Dark brown. Brown. White. Anything else?" 

"Can I continue?" Louis asks. Does he mean the questions? Tony doesn't know. Does he mean the roaming hands. 

Tony's thought; "Oh god yes, please. Please. PLEASE!" 

He says only "yes". 

Louis slowly touches Tony’s chest again. His hands move downward. Somehow Louis completely misses the devise in the center of Tony's chest that keeps Tony alive as his hands slide pass either side of it. Louis' hands reorient to make his fingers torso centered, palms out and he runs his hands over Tony's abs beginning by touching and following along the top edge of Tony's pants. Louis' hands reposition as they come around Tony's waist to Tony's back where they drop. 

Oh fuck. Tony thinks. 

Louis Tomlinson has his hands on Tony's arse. 

"Stop!" 

Tony can't believe he says that. Particularly because Louis recoils and scrunches his face like he expects to be hit. 

Tony tries to explain. 

"I"m sorry, I don't want to scare you. And I promised. But if you touch me too much, I might need to respond." 

Louis looses his fearful posture and says. "I understand. I'm sorry. It's just I've only had them to feel." 

The way Louis emphasizes "them" is again the sassy, innately Louis manner. He continues. "I knew from the beginning that sex, sex with men, felt right, but it's like on the last day with them, the day you bought me, they said then I'd be going to someone hideous. I should enjoy 'them' while I had it," Louis pauses. 

The way Louis drifted off. He's weighing something. He steps back only stopping when he hits the couch he had been place on minutes ago when Tony carried him up the stairs. 

"They liked it a certain way. Me between them. It was a favorite way for them in the end, because they could pin me like that, so they said.This last time though, they were so excited and impatient. You must have made their dreams come true with what you paid them for me. They, they didn't even hesitate. Once they had your money. They called me, took me to their room. There was no prep, no lube. They pressed me between them where they stood, I heard them each spit on one of their hands. I knew it wasn't going to be good. I begged them not like that, at least let me work myself open, even let them watch. I said I'd be good. Simon stood behind me and hiked my one leg up and pushed his dick into me. I fought them, and at Paul must have decided something because he kneeled leaving Simon to keep me held against him with Paul just kneeling and holding me hips. I felt Paul's tongue licking me hole as Simon kept pushing his dick in me. It helped a little when Paul licked but he soon left me for Simon and went to lapping at Simon's balls as est he could while Simon was in me. This made Simon go at me more, thrilled with Paul's choice. I felt the pain. Like he was ripping me hole. I cried for Simon to stop. His free hand went to my throat. He started choking me. He told Paul to get up, join him in me. I think Paul spat in his hand to add some wetness because when he moved it to pinch my nipple it was still wet. All I know for sure is how it felt when Paul pushed in, it was like they split me, Paul with Simon. The next thing I remembered after they finished and dropped me on the bed was when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Your hand. So I lashed out. I thought you were them." 

Tony snaps out of his needs. He feels sick visualizing Louis pined between the two standing men. Their cocks in him, no prep, his leg locked in Simon's hold, Simon's hand on Louis' throat. It takes Tony a moment to clear his the image and make wordsof reply. 

"Right, you're sore um down there, right..." 

Tony needs to fix this. "Let's put your bum in a tub with some soothing herbs. Does that sound good? Come with me. I'll get you a nice bath and while you soak, I'll make you breakfast. We talked bout dinner type of foods some last night but I don't know anything yet about your likes for breakfast." 

Louis doesn't resist taking Tony's hand with his uninjured one. If anything he seems readily accepting of it. And when Tony's arm goes around his waist from behind he doesn't resist that either. 

Louis says "herbs". 

Tony shoots back to Louis a question, "Herbs, you like herbs for breakfast?" 

Louis laughs, "No, I mean herbs, like a question, of herbs. What herbs are soothing herbs?"

*** 

On the second full day of Louis' residing with Tony the day ends with Louis on a happy note having made Tony comply to his every whim. It started after the bath. Following the bath, which Louis said made him feel a little less sore, he ate though not nearly as much as Tony wanted him to, because Louis smiled a little, and with that he got his way. Tony wouldn’t force him to eat. 

Following breakfast a recurring theme became Louis' obsession. He wanted to go to the beach again. Play in the surf. What seemed like the best idea for getting Louis exercise, important for generating healthy normal sleep, was put on hold by Tony once he learned that Louis is sore, potentially torn in a very sensitive area. 

"Didn't it hurt going into salt water?" 

Louis dismisssd it as nothing, some burning but nothing he couldn’t bare. 

Tony countered Louis' dismissal and dismissed the beach idea regardless. Instead he took Louis down to his shop and tried to fashion a wrist guard using some light weight materials and design like is in his Ironman suits. While he tried to fit Louis' delicate wrist with a stabilization guard Louis argued with him about the need for that, "see I can move it fine, no pain", and he argued about the salt water and its affects on his sore ass. When Tony had the guard finished, two hours of careful crafting, Louis refused to wear it. It reminded Tony of a time when he bought a gorgeous supermodel he was dating a Versace gown to accompany him on a spontaneous trip to gamble in Monaco and she refused to wear it because she preferred Gucci. The only difference was Louis was far more stunningly beautiful as he tossed it aside and said ,"na, can we go to the beach now?" 

Tony kept putting Louis off. Tides wrong. 

"When will they be right?" 

No new swim shorts yet. Tony states. 

"I can wear the same ones as yesterday." 

Louis was relentless about the beach. And frenetic. If Tony tried to have him chill, just relax by the pool Tony found Louis was always moving around searching out his environment. Three times he ran into things. Four times he stepped off a elevational change and took another tumble. Only once was that at the pool and he luckily fell into a cold water small pool but in that case his head came inches from solid rock. So. At this rate Louis was collecting more bruises because he was like a child whose just discovered walking. Turn your back and they are gone, why walk when you just learned to walk, why not run? 

So by the late day low tide, despite fearing that it was not what is best for Louis' body Tony found he was back on the beach watching his obsession having a blast. The challenge of the waves when blind seemed to spur Louis on. 

As nightfall settled in Tony decided he was maybe over his head on contolling Louis. It was simply too impossibly hard to resist seeing him seeped in happiness. 

Letting Louis sleep for a good solid hour after the pills put him under aided by physical exhaustion, Tony risked taking his assessment with Louis sleeping. 

He pulls down the covers, rolls Louis onto his belly. Taking a deep breath at how spectacular this bum is before him he puts each hand on a cheek. 

Oh how he wants to squeeze them. Well if they weren't a mix of colors from spankings and who knows what else. Resisting all urges Tony slips his fingertips toward the cleft and takes a deep centering breath. Then he spreads the full cheeks. 

Tony swallows hard. Louis appears more bruised than torn. If anything Tony sees a couple tiny signs of maybe a tear. But in all, he looks not nearly as battered as Tony expected. Tony would very much like to kiss and lick Louis there. He's dizzy with want of it. But he doesn't do anything more than release the cheeks and slip away. Going to his first aid supplies he finds a suitable topical treatment and returns with it. Louis remains deep in sleep so Tony gingerly pulls one cheek aside and begins applying cream. 

Once aid is applied Tony has two needs pressing. 

Thing one of urgency is his dick is again hounding him with need of wanking. So before bed he does that. 

Next he goes down to his design area in his shop and begins work. He puts in a couple hours before it's so late he's sure he'd work better finishing in the morning before Louis wakes and begins bumping around. Besides he's happy with his start. Lying out on his bench for soldering sensors onto are two sets of what look like this gold bracelets and one larger one that looks like a choker style necklace. 

In the morning Tony will attach the microscopic size sensors. If he's right these items worn on ankles and wrist, with the larger one around Louis' neck will act like eyes for Louis to interpret objects and elevation changes. An ear piece will give Louis an alert. In affect it's a higher tech version of the same sensor technology in new cars only it's microscopic. After all, Stark was the was the developer of that technology used by the auto industry. With luck on Louis' third full day in his new home the world will seem a lot less unpredictable and dangerous. 

Returning to the bedroom Tony gets ready to join Louis who he discovers has rolled more to the center of the bed. Good. Tony can stay on his side and be closer to Louis’ scent and the sound of his sleeping rhythmic breathing. Tony resists the urge to verify the cream is absorbed. He knows that just feeding his obsession. Louis needs to heal. Tony decides even if Louis woke in love with him tomorrow he'd never touch Louis intimately as long as a single mark from Simon and Paul remain. They said Solange can collect his prize in two weeks. It's clear looking at Louis' body they had a good reason why. It was going to take awhile before Louis’ body is free of their bruises and marks.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Triggers include depression and self-harm, neither realized.
> 
> Spefically ...There is reference to Tony fearing Louis' state of depression, concern for self harm.
> 
> ...................

It was after breakfast that Tony brought up the custom sensor devices. Louis didn't see them neatly sitting on the kitchen counter of course. Tony was clearing dishes Louis had before him when Tony asked "Louis, can I touch you? I want to give you something?"

Louis was so happy about the prospect of an earlier low tide level for going to the beach. This is what they had been discussing over breakfast. Maybe Louis was only thinking of that. He sipped his tea and said "yes" without hesitation. Tony started to pick up the choker for securing around Louis' neck, but them he thought better of it. Setting the choker aside he picked up the anklets. 

"I'm going to put something around your ankles okay? Trust me." Taking the barstool chair Louis is on and turning it Tony kneels down and picks up on foot, adorns it with the small, delicate chain like strand. Then he does the same with the other. On Louis small feet and pretty ankles they glimmered and looked exquisite. 

"What are those?" Louis asks. He can't see them, naturally, but they feel sleek. Louis likes the way they roll on his skin. 

"You'll see soon enough." Tony stands. "Now give me your hands please." 

Louis willingly presents both hands. Tony puts a bracelet on each wrist. After each goes on to Louis' delicate wrists Tony really, really wants to turn Louis' hands. He wants to kiss the palm of each but Tony doesn't. He just admires the way the bracelets sparkle a little against Louis skin and make him look all the more a pampered treasure nothing like an abused slave. 

Resist. Don't kiss him. Tony thinks. 

Staying on tasks Tony holds out an earpiece very similar to what Louis has worn for years now on stage though he's not remembering the experience of having done so. 

"Take this, and put in your ear." Tony directs. 

They exchange the earpiece, Louis puts it in and looks to be expecting some explanation. Notably he does slip the earpiece in like he has a body memory of having done so. Tony pushes that detail aside, this for Tony, is about Louis avoiding further self harm, Tony convinces himself. 

"Perfect. Now stand up and walk somewhere." 

"Just walk?" Louis says with his innate sassy playfulness. "Walk? You mean take a blind hike in Stark Castle?" 

"Trust me." Tony says in his innately smarty directness. 

Louis puts his feet down to the floor. He makes an exaggerated eye roll at Tony, despite his sightlessness and starts to walk. It's quickly apparent he's trying to remember where he should go based on the painful lessons of complete darkness of his world and his past run-ins with coffee tables, chairs, other furnishings, door jams... 

Louis' device attenuates on an object and before Louis runs into a standing sculpture he stops. He almost starts to move but stops again. Then he stays where he is and starts to reach out. He stops, and instead of moving his feet he extends his hand out to feel the space in front of him. Before he touches the sculpture he immediately, quickly recalls his hand then reaches out again slowly like he wants to press a through boundary he cant see but something tells him it's there. Doing so Louis touches the sculpture. Tony knows Louis is getting audible cues that are signally to his earpiece that "a thing" is n front of him. Once Louis has touched the object, identified it by touch, Louis turns to where he presumes Tony is standing and watching him. Louis asks with a puzzeled look on his face. 

"The noises in my ear piece warn me there's something in front of me?" 

"Yes"! Tony says going to Louis. "I made them to have distinct tones too so you know whether the object is at your feet, or hands. And there's more to it, come." 

He takes Louis' hand and leads his from the area they were to a place in the large, open room where some of the floor is sunken by several inches, recessed compared to most of the rest of the room. 

"Take a couple steps straight ahead." Tony hopes the drop in floor is illustrative. 

Louis moves two steps end before he reaches a drop where he stops. He tells Tony what he hears. 

"It's a differnet sound." 

"Yep. That sound is coming from your foot sensors this time. They are telling you that there is a drop. It also works for if there is a step up, but again a different sound for each, up or down. No more falling down stairs for you Louis." 

"This is amazing!You made these for me?" Louis is feeling the bracelet on one of his wrist marveling ar the freedom this offers.,"What happens if these get wet?" 

Tony is elated at Louis' reaction. "You can get absolutely get them wet. Can't have you breaking that pretty neck of yours, that fall out at the pool yesterday was a particularly close one." 

Excited by Louis' acceptance Tony goes to get the sensor encrusted choker as he replies knowing Louis can hear where he is and Louis feeling better because the devices are giving Louis what is unpresidented freedom after months of living in a void. 

"Speaking of your neck. I also made this for you." Tony returns to Louis and in his excitement he starts to put the choker around Louis' neck without warning. 

Louis feels this and reacts. He pushes Tony's hands away. He also reflexively steps back, falls over the haste, insisting with a slight panic in his voice as he falls. 

"Don't do that, don't ever put anything around my neck!" 

The immediate revolt by Louis caught Tony by surprise. Tony kicks himself for his assumptions. After all, Louis' neck is still one massive layers of bruises from countless times of something like choking. "They pinned me...." Louis had just told Tony the day before. 

It was not that long ago Simon was choking him as he fucked Louis. 

"Don't please." Louis breaks down a little. It's evidenced how he stays on the floor where he fell and pulls his arms and legs into himself making his body one tight little ball. The sensors might be a great opening to a safer world, but it doesn't change that Louis is still darkness. He doesn't know who he is. What he is for Tony. 

Profuse apologies flow from Tony as he asks to assist Louis to get up. As soon as Louis is standing he brings his fingers to his neck. "M'just sensitive there, I guess. What was that anyway? The thing you tried to put on me neck?"

"It's another piece of the set to help you sense the space around you. This one is like a necklace and it attenuates the others. It gives you awareness of something like a low ceiling or if you're safely walking under a tree branch or something. We can have you go without it. Maybe I can rework the earpiece, move some of the choker, or necklace components into that piece, yeah, I'll do that. I'm sorry about touching your neck. Later today I'll do another earpiece and nothing will touch your neck. Promise." 

Louis touches his neck again. "It's pretty, you said." 

The statement is more of a question Tony suspects. As Louis is brushing his fingertips over his bruised neck Tony is stirred by the want to be doing that with his own fingers and the stir recalling of what Louis' fingers made him feel when Louis ran them over on his neck to get a sense of what Tony looks like. 

"Beautiful, actually. Like all of you. You're just so, so beautiful Louis." 

It's the next question. No surprise, it's been a couple days. Tony can't believe they've gotten to a few days without it. 

Louis asks, "So what am I here for? Because you think I'm beautiful? For you to make things for as part of your work? What am I here for? Simon said he was selling me, because men would want me for their pleasure. Because I'm beautiful. At least when I was being, you know." 

"Sure, reasonable question. You're here because, because I agree, about men, me in particular, want you because you are a thing, a person of great beauty. I don't want to hurt you though. Or use you. I didnt make you those sensors to use you as a guinea pig either. They are to make you safe." 

Louis' scrutiny of Tony's intentions isn't wavering. "You don't want me for sex then? I'm just that I am something, like that sculpture over there, for you to look at?" 

It's amusing in a way that without sight, no visual clues whatesoever, Louis can see through Tony and read his body language. 

"Oh, don't get me wrong. Louis I would love to touch you. You can't know how much I've wanted to be able to touch you. Have sex. I do. Want...that." 

Louis' small frame stiffens. His jaw sets. His eyes go to the floor. 

"So when then? What are you waiting for?" 

"Your permission. If you can ever give it. I want your permission Louis. I don't own you. If anything it's the opposite. You own me. Ask me anything. Whatever you wish I'll do it." 

Louis snaps out an ask quickly. 

"Take me out where there are people, to the beach where their are other people. Kids, families." 

"I can't do that." 

"Why? You said anything, whatever I wish." 

Damn, Tony thinks. This kid is tough. "I can't do that. I can't take you out in public Louis. Not that." 

"Oh is that because your famous, infamous and people will see us together or is it because like Simon said that everyone who knows gay porn knows who I am, what I am. You can't be seen with the likes of me." 

"Louis never believe anything Simon told you, none of it. He was only trying to hurt you, to drag you down." 

"Okay so let's go back to why you bought me then, I still want to know, how much. How much was I worth to you? It's clear even to a blind person you have way more money than you need, but what was I worth to you, to keep in privately, sit around waiting for me to get bored and want something from you! " Louis says in a rant that's more yelling than asking. 

As Louis berates Tony with words Louis' posture has changed again. What was strength and resolve is more like the boy who minutes ago was balled up on Tony's floor falling in Darkness . He's shaking. It could be rage, frustration, justified emotions from his helplessness. Beneath the undefinable Louis looks completely devastated. Still just a prisoner. A prisoner in a world he knows not his place. His value. 

"Louis," Tony says softly. He was about to give Louis the crumpet of knowing it was billions spent, Louis cost Tony over a billion dollars, but then the notice of a delivery arriving takes Tony's attention to receiving the much needed clothes he'd ordered for Louis. 

"Wait here," Tony says, "let me get that, just wait here." 

With a few of the many, many delivery boxes in hand Tony comes running back to greet Louis like it's Christmas. Instead of Louis waiting for him Tony finds the room vacant. 

Great. 

Now with sensors to help him navigate Louis can wander off. Tony is about to go upstairs to look for Louis there when he glances outside and he sees that Louis is beside the pool. Louis is sitting on a lounge chair. He has his arms extending up so the back of his hands are resting over his eyes. Hiding them. 

Going outside Tony stands near Louis trying not to give the idea he's towering over his purchase. 

"Your clothes are here. Want to come inside and try them on?" 

"No." 

"Come on Louis, you'll like your new things more that those too big, old sweats and tee shirt of mine. And we have a bunch of swim shorts for you, hoodies too. Come check them out." 

"No." 

Okay Louis is pouting. Tony knows a thing or two about tantrums. This is one. It's just that Louis is powerless. Tragically how Louis looks being so stubborn only makes him all the more appealing to Tony. 

"Beach? Tide will be perfect very soon." 

"No. And you can take these back too." Louis tries to remove one glimmering anklet but finds it feels seamless and perplexingly challenging to undo. "I have nothing, I am nothing, I'm worth nothing. I don't need these." 

Louis can't get the thing off his ankle. He moves to the other ankle. He can't undo that either. He can however take out the earpiece so Louis does that. Louis promptly throws the earpiece in the pool. 

This is in true depression, Tony fears. Louis slumps back stretches out and puts the hands back over his face. Tears sneak out from where he is trying to hide them. 

It's breaking Tony's heart. 

"Billions. It was billions. Okay Louis. That's all the specifics that you get on that subject, because quiet frankly, if I told you exactly how much you would probably be even more sassy and demanding because it would inflate your ego entirely too much. So you can lie here and have a fit that's fine. I've got a new earpiece to go design and make for you. One to take care of that pretty head of yours so it doesn't get any more of its senses knocked out by your running into things. I suggest that if you decide you want to move from here you get into that pool and fish around for that earpiece you tossed to use for the short run. Since your tanturm means no beach today the exercise of searching the pool bottom for an expensive piece of essential tech will do you a lot of good. Work off some steam. I'll be downstairs working. You also might want to check out the new clothes you have. I'll open the boxes for you and leave them in the living room. Or you can throw them in the pool too. They are yours. Do what you like with them." 

Tony goes to leave but decides to add one more thing. 

"You do have choices Louis. Maybe not the ones you like, but choices. I keep telling you I won't hurt you. I won't. I also won't let anything hurt you. Whatever Simon and Paul told you they weren't telling you all of it. Somebody did this to you. You were not always blind. You were always admired. Desired. Whatever Simon tried to take from you, just remember, I wasn't the only one wanting to pay fortunes for you. I'm just the best shot you have at not trading one abusive Simon-type for another." 

Tony leaves Louis. He goes to his shop, turns on cameras to spy on Louis, starts some music streaming, blazingly loud and tries to get over feeling like a complete arse for being that hard on Louis. It's that Louis is has frightened him because he's worried Louis is on the edge and Tony fears Louis could hurt himself. Consequently the process of making a new earpiece is slow, because Tony watches Louis in the monitors constantly because he's afraid for Louis. 

Terribly afraid yet incapable of setting aside his obsession. 

*** 

It's an hour or more later when Louis moves just to strip off his clothes. Naked, he lays back down, bum sunny side up and seems to go to sleep. Tony wants Louis to save sleeping for night but he can't bring himself to disrupt Louis' sleep because he said Louis has choices. 

Also there that thing. If Tony was to see that bum sunning in all it's perfection in the flesh, he's not sure he can avoid touching it. 

An hour or so later Louis shifts and basically rolls himself off the chair, the patio and into the pool in one move. It's a long while before Louis surfaces, enough such that Tony is ready to go rescue, but when Louis comes up from under the water it's clear he was searching pool bottom. Tantrum over. His backside must be toasted. He's at least not giving into his emotional pain. Louis is searching for the discarded earpiece. 

Tony keeps a close eye on Louis as Louis searches again and again. Tony feels a little guilty because at one point Louis seems to choose to sit on the steps on the pool in the shallow like he's given up. A short while later Louis is back to searching. Eventually Louis comes up with the earpiece and he puts it in his ear immediately. Tony is just finishing the new design but he decides to stay down in his shop and watch, giving Louis more time, choices. 

Louis exits the pool as soon as he has his earpiece in and with the system navigates his way quite effectively from pool to living room. He finds the pile of boxes and begins pulling out items. He opens one after the other. Jeans are tossed aside, shoes too, shirts, he takes time to investigate them, setting them in one pile of the other seemingly by softeness until he finds a tee he seems to like. He does this with more clothes until he seems to have found the right items he's wanting. He dresses in sweats and a chosen softest of tee. 

This is when Tony decides he can invade Louis' privacy and try to join him.


	21. Chapter 21

Day four of waking with Louis in Tony's home begins like the day before.

Tony pulls down the silk bed covers slowly to slip out without waking Louis. He does this slow, hopes it gives him a glimpse. He wants to see how Louis' bruises are progressing, though admittedly, he really just wants to see all of Louis. Perfect even if bruised by others. 

Confronted with an abundance of marks on Louis left by Simon and Paul which show no signs of disappearing soon enough Tony has to leave Louis slumbering peacefully. It's not just the lingering of marks on flesh that are the only kawling concern. Tony also can't deny a fear that Louis is disintegrating, seeped in his darkness, abused too long, needing to lash out like he did yesterday because in his mind he can't find himself.

At the core Tony knows it's all on him. If he could just been less selfish, have taken Louis home. Take him back to Harry. Be the hero. Cap would do that. Banner would. Hawkeye, Natasha... why can't Tony break this obsession?

Electing to go down to his shop Tony has numerous pressing projects to work on. His obsession over Louis has made him attendant with Louis, too distracted to focus on anything else. His team must be aware he's been off the grid. With Louis still sleeping it is the best time to get to his work. 

*** 

Louis' new found freedom is both good and bad. Tony is surprised by Louis joining him down in his workshop, apparently waking earlier than Tony expected. Louis' soft touch coming to his shoulder catches him off guard because, as usual, Tony had his music blaring. There standing by him is a softly waking looking Louis. His hand is on Tony's shoulder as Louis says one word, "tea?"

Up to the next floor they go. Tony makes Louis tea, then breakfast. Again Louis doesn't come close to proper interest in all the food that Tony wants him to eat. He seems content to just sip his tea which he holds in an intirely too cute a sort of way like he's taking in its warmth as much as it's flavor. Tony begins to understand the game. Louis is choosing to to touch his food or not to assert himself. Louis needs his choices. He needs a path out of his darkness. 

Tony gives Louis an easy choice. "Beach? Like the day before the right tide for us is earlier in the day."

Louis gives a head shake to say yes. 

Something about how quiet Louis is makes Tony nervous. Leaving Louis alone at the breakfast bar Tony goes to changes from the pants he was wearing into swim shorts. He ignores some work chatter and alerts he's getting. Chatter from Warmachine. Chatter among the Avengers. He wants to be back with Louis.

Not nearly enough has been eaten by Louis when Tony returns to the kitchen area. Before he can say something about this observation Louis speaks. Tony learns immediately that Louis is leaving the food deliberately. Though he can't see Tony he somehow knows he's frustrating Tony with leaving such delicious food largely untouched.

"So choices? Have choices? Not to go out in public but private, things here?"

Tony says "yes" too too quick because he simple wants Louis to be happy, or happier. The quietness makes Tony nervous like Louis has some plan. Eat the food or not, for example.

"So the beach. Tide soon?" 

"Yes" Tony says. 

Louis' use of his sensors has an unexpected consequence. Louis finds his way by hearing Tony's voice and attenuating to approach Tony who was moving across the room to where living space begins. Louis is choosing to come pleasingly close to Tony. He clearly got something on his mind. Tony steps away from Louis wanting to assess him. He sits back taking a place on a wide, comfortable, over-stuffed chair. He talks about the trip down to the beach, how Louis will still require extra assist to navigate it because the rocks are too adventuresome to take on with the sensors alone. 

Using the sensors Tony is speaking of Louis finds where Tony has moved to without any difficulty. For the first time Tony takes in something else's about Louis' behavior. It seems the disagreement of yesterday is not over. There's something to Louis' posture. A determination or resolve. It's cute coming from someone so smol and pixie-like.

Louis comes to stand directly in front of Tony. He knows exactly where Tony is sitting. It's a balance of Tony's voice and the sensors working together to give Louis reasonable certainty. 

Louis puts his a hands on his hips and asks. "How long did you say before the tide is right to go?" 

"We should start heading down in twenty minutes." 

"And you're staying with no touching except to guide me, or if I ask, and what was it you said yesterday? I have choices, here? Not about out there, but here?" When Louis said "here" he made a hand-finger gesture to imply he is referring to Stark castle not the greater world at large. 

Tony would have considered impending consequences of the confrontational-sounding Louis had he not been drinking in how cute this hand-on-hip sass-master was standing before him like he's going to take Tony on. All five foot six or seven of him. Maybe a hundred and twenty pounds. 

 

Louis can't see it but Tony smiles and begins pressing back in his chair, his hand seeking his dick because, right this is the best porn show he's experience even though it's only that Louis is being so insanely cute and arousing while being a little, strangely, aggressive. Resurrecting the prior day's controversy and showing defiance is sexy as hell.

What happens next is unexpected. 

Louis whips off his shirt, he pushes down his sweats and lets them drop off on to the floor kicking them aside thus leaving himself completely naked standing only a foot in front of Tony. Reaching out Louis finds Tony's arms which Tony has stretched out resting on the length of the chair's armrest. Meanwhile Tony's fingers are griping into the chair like he's holding onto it for dear life to keep himself constrained from reacting to the unexpected sight before him. He wants to ravish Louis. How can he not? 

Louis just stripped naked in front of him; what the hell is this about? 

Louis asks slowly and softly. "So, no touching me? But I can touch you anytime I choose?"

The sound that escapes Tony's mouth is telling. It's a mix of a gasp and a moan. It terminates in a studdered "Yes, if you choose, anytime you can touch me." 

Reaching forward Louis' hands run up Tony's arms coming to stop with fingers gripping on Tony's biceps. Keeping ahold of Tony with the biting fingers a naked Louis climbs onto Tony's lap so he is siting face to face with Tony and straddling Tony's legs between his spread , bare thighs. 

"I can do this then?" 

Louis asks this softly. Like a lover's ask. Tony presses his head back and tries to look up at the ceiling to avoid looking at all of this, Louis, nude, on his lap. His succulent looking thighs parted, everything exposed open for Tony. 

"I'm okay with this. Yes. It's up to you." 

Louis laughs in a manner suggesting he was challenging Tony's efforts to be consistent with the rules. 

"And this is okay," Louis runs his hands down from Tony's biceps, finds Tony's hands, struggles a bit to get them unclenched from how tightly Tony is choosing to grip onto the chair for support. Once Tony gives to Louis' effort to take his hands he finds that Louis opts to move them directly to place one each on his bare arse cheeks abandoning them there once so placed. After placing Tony's hands on his bum Louis' hands go softly to land on Tony's neck. 

This is how Tony finds himself immobilized with disbelief as he has his hands on Louis' smooth, bare, full, ass as chosen by this pixie. 

Louis' fingers begin brushing along Tony's neck. Louis leans into Tony making the hold of arse in hand all the more pleasing for Tony with the way Louis raises his bum and curves his body so his bum thrusts out meanwhile Louis' breath is ghosting along Tony's neck and ear as he whispers, "As is this, it's all okay?" 

Tony stifles back his urges and chokes out a few words among pants from the desperation to retrain himself. "It's, it's all, all good, yes, good choice." 

Louis almost ruts himself against Tony as he raises up some so his pretty cock is pressing just below the center of Tony's chest. The move makes Tony aware of the undelying firmness of Louis' plump ass in his hands. 

Soon enough the assliciousness in Tony's hands is lost from thoughts because Louis' hands and arms encapsulate Tony's head so that Louis has Tony's face pressed to his chest. Held like this Tony could easy take a tiny Tomlinson nipple into his teeth and bite Louis. Tony is struggling against that urge. He moans again and his pelvis lifts raising Louis slightly with him. If Tony too were unclothed it would be all over. He'd be inside Louis at this point. 

"And this?" Louis asks as he allows the lift of Tony to make his nipple to take a course rubbing against the stubble of hair on Tony's face. 

Tony scoffs back his words because Louis is being as much of a cunt as is humanly possible. Tony can't help but love it. Crave more. Straining to keep his hands still where they rest though he knows one squeeze would end him. This despite slowly understanding that Louis' mock seduction is only a continuation of the challenge from the day before. It's all too arousing and fantasy-fullfiling for Tony to not love it despite the torture this is afflicting upon him. 

"Sure as shit not getting complaints from me." Tony says straining for his self control. 

"Okay then" Louis says. His voice says he has more to use on Tony. 

Tony holds his breath as Louis raises up to be straddling Tony higher by standing on his knees briefly before he steps back, breaking Tony's hands away from their nirvana as he does. The upward rise to lift off and away took Louis' pretty cock literally brushing right against the same side of Tony's face that just had a nip glazing against it. 

Tony couldn't help but notice Louis' prick was actually somewhat firming up, sporting a pretty little semi erection, like Louis got some kick out of this toying with Tony. 

"So the beach it is." Louis says as he's back to standing naked in front of Tony a foot or so further away. Fun is over. 

Tony let's out yet another exasperated gasping sort of noise. His own dick is so hard from whatever that just was. Tony is certain he can't walk, or stand. He passes off his condition in a joke. 

"Sure, just excuse me while I wank off first since I now have a raging erection and no place to put it but my own hands." 

Louis smirks and he touches himself. It's only briefly but that is it. The semi, it made Louis cock look impossibly pretty. Tony wants so suck it hard. Engorge it and then drain it. 

No touching Louis with out permission or to guide him so Tony pulls his cock out from inside his swim trunks and with Louis standing there he indulges and wanks himself. It takes all of three tugs before he orgasms ropes of cum while he loudly vocalizes his frustration. 

When Tony's eyes clear he looks at Louis. Louis says with a smirk, "So okay now Solange, dropping billions on what you can't touch, all better though?" 

Tony stops his deep breathing, regains more focus and replies. 

"Worth every penny." 

***

It's the same with Louis at the beach as days prior for the most part; Louis is again having a blast, taking on the waves. What is new is a that a storm off shore is making things bigger, trickier. Tony keeps his eyes on Louis exceptionally so because it's concerning. 

An ass kicking from the extra powerful waves send Louis to do the unprecedented. He opts to chill for a bit on the beach with the watchful Tony. Louis doesn't want to call a day it but he needs a break. 

Tony is go glad for it because he is still whipped from Louis' mock seduction and he needs a break from vigilance. The extreme waves made it very hard. 

Tony falls asleep lying on the sand with Louis beside him. It's only the buzz sensation on his wrist from his faux watch, a tech device that acts like a computer that wakes him. He barely has a chance to say "Louis" intending to alert Louis before a searing loud noise emanates from his house. The sonic burst startles awake Louis with a jump. Over head the sound that initiated with the sonic burst becomes a noise more like a standard large firework. Like a firework the arc of sound and a flash of light accompanying it scorches a short distance before it impacts something resulting in an explosion in the air well above them. 

Louis can't know what he's hearing. Tony does. He grabs Louis and holds Louis tight as he says "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay..." on and on in a mantra deliberately soothing. 

Once the loud, terminating pop passes Tony releases Louis who is trembling. Tony explains right over Louis' shaky "Wha..?" Maybe this is something Tony should have told Louis on day one. 

"It's okay, Louis, okay. Listen. I do arms, war tech right? So my house has a level of tech defense not standard for most, um, homes. If someone, even a passing sailboat out on the ocean so much as sends a small kid-operated toy drone toward my house, my defense system blast it in the air, okay? Got it? So that, that was probably literally nothing more than kid's drone that strayed into the wrong neighborhood, okay? Nothing more, nothing to fear." 

Louis jumps to his feet. He's still shaking. How can this be anything other than terrifying? 

"What the fuck? Are you serious?" 

Louis is jumping around like a person moved by disturbance and senseless of their place, because right, Louis is out of sort with his place. The noise was not expected. Tony is himself surprised by the timing between incoming and his defense protocol because normally any hobbyist drone is so slow moving there is a big lag between its detection and Tony's defense interception launch. But Tony ignores that and focuses on Louis. 

Tony goes to Louis, ask to take his hands. Louis extends them readily to Tony. 

Taking Louis hands Tony walks backwards down the beach and talks soothingly to Louis. He mentions how nice it is and how little time they have left as the waves are staring to push in. He asks Louis about the fit of his new swim shorts thought what Tony is really thinking is how much he misses Louis wearing the tight, salmon pink surfer-girl swim shorts that only just cover his ass. Especially since not so many hours ago Tony held that spectacularly plump ass in his hands. His hands still haven't recovered. In fact Tony thinks his hands might be forever ruined. But he walks Louis down the beach, talking calmly until it seems Louis is not so shakened. Louis wants to play in the surf again. 

It's nearly beyond the safe area of Tony's beach but he sends Louis out to play for sake of Louis' nerves and takes his vigilant watch again. What could go wrong? 

What is the thing about Louis in the water? It's odd. Impossible to interpret from the shore. Tony rushes in. 

The waves are certainly pushing in, tide riding and with it was so much unpredictableity like the ocean can offer. 

Tony reaches Louis who is literally dragged under bound by some debris. A careless fishing crew and Mother Nature's dating off of a driftwood tree combined with a rising tide pushing that all in with such force has made it so Louis anklelet has been snared in discarded fishing gear weighed down with the drift. This trap rolls to shore on waves tangled in the drift of wood and Louis is caught. 

Tony finds Louis, frees him takes him ashore. Louis is sputtering but awake. It's just that he's now got so much on him to create fear; the abuse, the darkness, the explosive surprise, the near drowning, the, the, the... 

Probably more the "all of it" than "the one thing/ near drowning" that has Louis convulsing. 

Louis is completely oblivious to everything Tony offers. 

Engaging that same watch-like device that had alerted Tony to the common drone which precipitated this misadventure Tony calls out one of his Ironman-like suits. It's more of a pod or a shuttle than a suit. It rockets to them. Tony slips his prized poseesion into the pod, himself too, and they are delivered back to home base. Louis is completely limp and shock-like when the pod opens. Tony has no problem carrying Louis to the bedroom. 

How can it be that the day started with Louis having complete control over Tony, rutting his lovely body over Tony's in some sensual tease, and now end so badly like this? 

*** 

Tony has more cross-chatter and alerts coming in from his team. He ignores that. Tony has a huge concern for Louis who is unresponsive, too cashed out from his struggles. 

It’s easy to take Louis to the large sunken hot tub, then the bath and finally bed. For the first night since Tony brought Louis home Tony is able to put Louis is bed, pull them together, hold Louis tight.


	22. Chapter 22

*********

Bedtime, despite the exhaustion, was too early for Louis following the ocean mishap. 

Tony realizes this as he's kicking himself for letting Louis have any unplanned rest so early, early enough it was before they even had dinner because of how Louis starts thrashing about in bed very early in the evening. Maybe it's because he's hungry, Tony is, but Tony won't leave Louis' side with him like this. 

Tony tries to rationalize what to do; he's good at quick decisions. Following the struggles at the beach it was unavoidable to lay Louis down in their bed as Louis seemed to behave in some slightly shockish sort of way. At the very least Louis was disoriented and exhausted. Perhaps more. Tony wasn't sure. That is why Tony put Louis on their bed, laid close to him while trying to assess what to do. 

Louis immediately did the most unexpected thing. Tucking himself into a little ball, he rolled to press himself tightly against Tony. Once nested into Tony's body he let Tony hold him. 

Unwilling to lose this closeness Tony let them be like that. Maybe for too long. It lead to Louis drifting off to sleep without any pill to facilitate a good complete night's sleep, and sleep starting far too early in the day for it to fit a schedule. 

What began as Louis breathing softly seemingly at peace, changed in a few hours. Louis slowly began acting like he did the first night at Tony's. He was thrashing and tossing in their bed. He wake in a sudden burst of panick, then fall back and be completely still. Clearly nightmares, fighting demons were overtaking his sleep then exhaustion set in as part of some unrestful cycle he was suffering. Having not a chance to give Louis a sleeping pill, hours of turmoil later, by 1AM it seemed to late to do so. Tony thought it better to ride the night out. Try to. 

After 3 o'clock in the morning a new pattern developed. Louis would startle awake and most deliberately reach out for Tony. Louis began to ask about somethings while he grips onto Tony's arm like Louis wants to verify by touch that Tony is there and he needs to hold onto Tony to stay out of the nightmares, his troubled darkness. 

Again and again Louis asks for clarification on where he is, did "that" really happen, meaning the beach thing. Eventually Louis comes up with other questions. Clearly new things are dawning on Louis. His recall of details seems tenuous suggesting that he is fuzzy from the trauma thus each time he wakes Louis seems to ask the same questions. It takes several times of repeated waking and repeating questions, Tony repeating answers before Louis processes the answers moves on. This alerts Tony to how fragile Louis memory skills are when he's traumatized. Maybe he is in shock? Or maybe it's the lingering hold of the original accident that took his memory. Whatever, the recovery is challenging. 

Tony's medical knowledge has its limits. Louis' next short nap gives Tony a chance to wonder id he can risk seeking help from a friend about whether this behavior would be precipitated by the beach experience or whether it's because of the ongoing stress Louis is under. Who would he consult? Banner? Dr. Cho? As Tony considers this it happens that Louis shoots upright once again from what was a stone-cold sleep. He has a new question. 

"Why do you even need to have things being shot out from your house if things come near your it? Who lives like that?" 

Question asked, Louis lays back and falls asleep again immediately like he was never awake. This happens before Tony can construct any answer, but that's okay because it is likely a question Louis will ask a number times in multiple forms in short burst of wakefulness. It's clear this is his newest questioning path. Louis will need to digest the answer repeated times before he can move on. The answers from Tony are going to need routine sameness to speed the process of comprehension. 

If consistency in answers helps Louis understand, Tony will be ready in his answer, try not to inflate the fear it could cause for Louis. 

"I'm notorious for the tech I have. Occasionally my assets and designs are sought after by competitors. I won't have anyone taking my secrets." 

Once questioned, Tony's scripted answer delivered, the exchange ends with Louis drifting off saying "infamous for the tech" instead of "notorious" as falls he asleep. 

Tony thinks Louis looks particularly adorable as says "infamous" with the stress leaving his face and he becomes restful. Tony really, really wants to cuddle him. And more than ever before he wants to kiss Louis. Kiss Louis such that Louis feels the desire to protect and care for him that Tony has and, just maybe, accepts it. Tony is indeed infamous, dangerous even, but confronting Louis, his obsession, he feels powerless. He wants Louis' acceptance. 

On Louis' next waken state Louis asks what is clearly the next persistent question on his mind. 

"So are their people routinely trying to kill you, take your stuff, your weapon designs?" 

The answer to this doesn't go down well. It led to a whole sea of follow up questions. Memories gone, Louis maintains a strangely natural, wicked-edge of sharpness but some of his logic is jumbled. The new information Tony gives has Louis very agitated. Naturally, it must be frightening and incomprehensible as Louis sits completely up in bed, drilling Tony with the same questions, through it all Louis is shaking. Is that fragility from the events earlier or from Tony's answers? 

One of the many questions born out of the concern about challenges of being Tony Stark is the question of what would happen to him, Louis, if "infamous/notorious", Designer of Arms Tony vanished. What, Louis asks, if someone succeeds in overtaking Tony’s castle-like fortress; fortress being Louis' new home and yet a home that to Louis is still nothing more than a lonely, dark box. What then? It is still only a prison, now a prison of Tony's making; to the victor goes the spoils? 

This question is particularly ironic because behind Louis on the wall over the bed is one of Tony's favorite of three works of, fan art where Louis is pictured as a slave in roman times, taken by the nortiorously ruthless, powerful, governing Harry in payment for a debt his family owed to their lord. Ironic. 

Tony tries to explain this one, what happens if Tony vanishes. Louis listens and he scoots back while sitting up on the bed to press his back into the headboard. He tucks his feet tight against his bum making himself into the tiny ball again this time where he sits in bed. He looks so small and frightened. Circles under his eyes are dark. Yet he is very determined to know answers to his questions. 

"There's no one here but us, so if you disapppear then what? I try to use these sensors to go out? Do those things shoot at me or do they only shoot at what comes here from somewhere? Why didn't they shoot that delivery truck that brought the clothes? How many rocket things are there. Do they run out of things to shoot?" 

Tony stops the endless list of questions Louis is rattling off by putting his hand on on foot forwaning he's going to explain by opening with assurances. 

"Can I touch you? Let me explain. First, we're not alone here, though technically, yes we are, but we are not. Jarvis is here, you haven't met Jarvis yet but I'll explain that. And no, nothing is going to shoot at you if you walked out. Nothing is going to shoot at delivery trucks. It's a pretty precise system I've coded..." 

"Who's Jarvis? Is this like a Simon and Paul thing, is he, your, your partner?" 

"No, no, no. Jarvis, well Jarvis isn't my partner, but yes he is, but Louis Jarvis isn't a real person per se, he's a, a, a cyber assistant. He can run everything here if I'm not here. He helps me with my work." 

"Are you saying Jarvis is your computer? So I'm supposed to feel better because your only friend is a computer program you designed? Like that's reassuring. Thanks Solange. All worries gone now." 

"No, na, nan, no! Jarvis a lot more than that, and hey, I do have actual friends Louis. I go to a lot of parties, always on the A-list, clamoured over at public events, people pay to hear me speak. And I may have been modest before when you asked what I look like. By that I mean women swoon a bit, over me." 

"Okay, name one. I'm mean not events with swooning women or that. I mean something real. Name one real friend. I'm curious. What kind of person is friends with the infamous, fortress-dwelling Tony Stark who designs weapons and brings home boys for undefined reasons." 

"First, I don't bring home boys. I've never brought home boys. But about friends, there are several. Banner, my friend Dr. Bruce Banner. He's a friend. We do overlapping work, he's a scientist more than a medical doctor. Leading in new research. Tends more to the organic side of things, but Banner is a friend. Like me he just prefers to lay low and much more than me he always stays off the public forum. No Kardashian in that one." 

"What's 'kardasheean'?" 

Tony laughs. Clearly Louis has no memory of the completely unworthy side of manufactured gossip of self-promoting, faux celebrities. 

"So this Banner guy, lays low, doesn't drop around for a beer every now and then. And he's a dork, because he's some mad scientist, that kind of friend. That's not like a normal friend. So who else do you got Solange?" 

"Most likely to drop into have a beer is my Rhodie, um Warmachine." 

"War machine? Your roadie? Not sure I'm looking forward to meeting anyone you call 'your war machine'. Nice, thanks. Like that's normal. Try again Solange." 

"Don't be too quick to make assumptions, Louis. He's real name is James Rhodes and Jim, Rhodie. A military guy but actually a very peaceable person. Honorable. I wouldn't put just anyone in one of my weaponized suits. He is the only one other than myself who has a suit of mine, a suit of armor, sort of thing. My suits have too much power; it's too easy for a person to get all caught up in their prospects for global domination. Not a problem with Rhodie, he's proven himself time and time again. You'd like him." 

"And if it's the name WarMachine, you should know I've also got the greatest hero, Captain America, on my speed dial." 

Louis looks puzzled. 

Okay, he doesn't remember his own identity, or One Direction. Ironman. The Kardashians. So. No Captian America resonance either. 

"Doesn't ring a bell? The name Captain America? Steve Rogers, famously resurrected former hero of World WarII?" 

Louis is shaking his head no as he says, "No clue what you are talking about. Actually wondering if you're just fucking with me at this point because everyone is, enhanced? You're making this stuff up, aren't you? Don't you have any friends who are normal?" 

"Well Natasha is normal. If by normal you mean not enhanced by technology or biological means." 

"Natasha? What does she do?" 

"She's a reformed assasin. A real smart ass. You'd like her." 

"Assassin?" 

"Reformed Louis, focus on the word reformed, you'd absolutely love her. You both have, okay well spectacular features in the ass department and she is very a cheeky persona, as are you. She is always making a joke of situations. Doesn't take herself too seriously. Very sassy. You'd like her..she's like a girl you who sometimes kills people. She works for us, so it’s only bad people. Usually. "

Louis looks not to be certain of any of this. 

He curls his toes, they grip into sheets a couple times under him then he seems to try again. 

"Anyone else I should know about in advance? Lethal or other?" 

"Just the archer, Hawkeye." 

"You mean bow and arrows? That kind of archer? So he can't be too dangerous if all he does is shoot arrows at things. Okay. Maybe let's start with him. When can I meet him, Hawkeye?" 

Tony isn't going to mention how Hawkeye's arrows have armed tips, his bow has a range that shames more than a few heavier arms. Instead he redirects Louis. He risks calling attention to the hand of his which is presently still touching a foot and ankle. 

The leg around which the mass of debris was looped is now showing the impact of the near fatal adventure. In the hours since Louis was almost drowned the effects of the tangled snare is reddening. There are marks extending from Louis' ankle, running up his entire left leg. Its clear that in the rolling action of the waves the mass of debris, mostly heavy line, must have had a chance to wrap on Louis with each ebb and flow as he and the debris mass were rolled in the waves. The effect of the line was much like the wrapping of a mummy though just along one leg. Signs of how it compressed into flesh are becoming evidenced. Ppainful looking new bruises are forming on Louis. 

"Louis let's table that for now." Tony's says patting tenderly the top of Louis' foot again. "This leg of yours has new bruises and even if we ignored those you're looking very much like a victim of some horrible abuse, that reason in itself, is reason enough for us to give you time to heal up a bit before we plan any parties." 

Louis looks a slight bit crestfallen. Meeting people was important to him. He counters Tony's caution with a softness and a splash of challenge. 

"What? You don't want your friends thinking you did this to me? Or are you afraid that they'll recognize me for what I am. Your bought for sex toy." 

There it is again. The ideas planted by Simon are not gone. They are firmly intrenched. Louis believes he's nothing more than a popular whore. Indeed Louis, for now, is a secret that Tony needs to keep. Like Tony said, there are "secrets" he protects. Suddenly Louis is the most important secret of them all. Tony's next answer he gives to Louis needs to be well crafted. He also needs to be concise. 

"Oh, trust me, Louis anyone who is my friends knows that I'd never, never hurt someone like you. Weapon development or not, all of this, these bruises, would never be at my hand. My friends would know this. It's just that, to be honest Louis, I'm not known for being into...well let's just say I have a very long history with women. Lots of women, very beautiful, sexy women with whom I'm always, always very uncommitted. Much the playboy. So you see, it's this, it's you..." Tony says patting Louis' foot softly, "...this, you, are the thing that is going to take some pre-introduction explaining." 

Tony ends the honesty there. He's not including the complication of jusyifying, even to friends, how he has Louis, a sightless, loss of memories, a much-searched for celebrity, sharing his home and his bed. 

For the first time Louis softens his tone. He asks the next question in a less defensive or fear-laiden way. 

"You're saying you don't do this with random boys? I'm the your exception?" 

Louis' face is pointing down suggesting he is almost bashful of making this ask. Another sign of insecurity is how his hands are playing with each other while they still embrace the legs he has tucked in against his bum where he sits. 

"Louis, you're exceptional in every way. Truly exceptional. Extraordinary. Exquisite. Your perfect." 

Touched by the softness, Tony slips. Overwhelmed, captured by his desire for Louis if only to touch his beauty. It happens so easily Tony doesn't even realize what he's done it until Louis reacts. 

Tony unconsciously moves his hand that was on Louis' left foot to Louis' "exceptional, extraordinary, exquisite, perfect" left cheekbone. It lands there on Louis' face before the praising descriptors have finished leaving Tony's lips like the touch was put to action an unconscious force initiated by his own mindless trance induced while he was listing off many ways of saying what he feels for Louis. 

Once Tony's uninvited, fingers touch cheekbone he freezes. 

Louis turns his eyes to the left as if he wished to acknowledge the hand but he isn't pushing Tony away.

This is something new. 

Tony snatches his hand back. He apologizes. 

"M'sorry, sorry. Don't know how that happened. I guess I just lost myself there in all that beautiful-you stuff." 

Louis shyly keeps his head down. 

"It's okay, actually. You saved me today. You're going to introduce me to your friends. Like you're not embarrassed of me, treating me like I'm nothing more than some whore you want to hide. Your not using me, so far.... I'd still like you to ask me, I mean, before you touch me. Accept in addition to guiding me we should add that you can always touch me when rescuing me, and maybe," 

Louis removes his arms wrap from around his tucked legs, parts them a little. What Tony sees takes Tony's breath. First because Louis has parted his legs and he is wearing nothing and secondly it's because hidden inside the closed-leg, tucked-in posture are indeed more new bruises, pronounced and darkening fast. 

"It's just that maybe, that is since I can't see what this looks like, you can though, I mean this hurts. Is it bleeding here?" 

Louis states his question as his slightly parted legs reveal that the inside of his left leg high on the thigh is newly red deep scrape, going to black and blue fast. It's from the snare. It looks truly awful. It's also trailing so high it could be affecting an area sensitive and close to, well other parts. Louis continues. "Here, it really hurts." 

"I can touch you then? To examine this?" Tony asks. He's not sure how when they came out of the water and went to suana and shower how he failed to completely examine Louis for damage. Maybe because Louis was in fleeting semi consciousness? 

Louis shakes his head to say yes. Tony gingerly moves Louis to come forward onto the center of the bed and lie back. Louis seems content recline and let Tony's hands be on him, near the new injury. Tony offers comfortingly touches avoiding the blemished skin. 

"You will feel much better if we get you some mild pain meds in you." Tony says being uncomfortable when he realizes he has missed something critical. "And maybe it's good to apply some topical cream where there are scraped places to avoid infection. You're very bruised all along this leg, some nasty scrapes." 

Louis nods his head and say, "K, okay yes." 

Tony leaps up gets some ibuprofen and some antibiotic cream. It's actually the same stuff he put on the unknowing sleeping Louis a few days ago. 

Returning he finds Louis is laying there in an invitingly, slightly sprawled position, looking a perplexing mix of sexy and a little uncertain. Louis thinking about the world of new information, Tony can see this. 

"Okay so let's get you fixed up here. Later I can introduce you to Jarvis, tomorrow, and when these bruises are gone, or at least mostly gone, we'll see about inviting my friends over." 

Louis relaxes more. He mustn't know how seductive he looks. He's staring up at the ceiling after swallowing a couple pills. He remains so invitingly beautiful as Tony begins to gently dap some salve on him. 

For Tony touching Louis is an immediate cause for an erection. He can't help it though he tries to remain clinical. 

The affected skin looks like rope was coiling and constricting Louis' leg. It cut through some skin, caused mild rash like discoloring elsewhere. Marks range from Louis' ankle to the very top of Louis' leg. One "ouch" escapes Louis when Tony is applying cream near the very top, innermost area of Louis' thigh where he sees trails of abrasions. Apparently the waves allowed the offending snare to move to where it pushed under the flimsy swim shorts Louis was wearing. Perhaps Tony should have gotten Louis a more protective wet suit instead. 

"The bruises go all the way up, don't they?" Tony asks. 

Louis nods and he actually touches himself in a very personal, private sort of way. His hand lays over his soft dick, he cups it taking his balls in the same hand too so his fingers give the package a little shift in his reply. "Yes. It hurts most in more tender areas." 

Oh, Tony thinks. Louis suggested it hurts close to, like under these, his ... 

It occurs to Tony how upward move of the snare may have only come to a stop where the leg meets body, sort of like an unpleasant wedgy. Tony holds his breath a second before bursts out his request hoping to not sound too pervy. 

"Rollover, I want to see the other side, the back of your legs." 

It doesn't sound so bad when he says it fast like this is purely medical, not sexual. 

The only thing that keeps Tony from coming from seeing Louis willingly roll over to turn his perfect ass up for presentsion on Tony's request is how the back of Louis' leg, especially where his thigh meets ass, looks like Louis was whipped. 

Tony begins applying the antibiotic cream on the lowest affected areas of Louis' leg and slowly works his up the leg. 

The worst of the abrasions is very high. It cuts under his bum cheek and looks to continue to places more private. Taking another stabilizing breath first Tony asks. 

"Louis? Can I? Um, I'd like to see..." 

Louis understands. Besides, he told Tony it hurts "there" planting a suggestion. 

What Tony doesn't expect is what Louis does next. 

Louis brings his hands around behind himself, places them on his ample cheeks and spreads them apart.

It's sensory overload. Louis' smalls hands parting his full bottom exposing himself so intimately, willingly. But the view is a yin and yang. Revealed is his tiny hole which is no longer showing any signs of misuse from Simon and Paul's last adventure. Indeed it's perfectly pink, round, almost floral-like in its perfection. Apposing it's beauty, cutting across skin near the lovely hole is a gash, red and painful-looking, certifying the mass of debris was forced along Louis' leg until it was stopped by him being a bipedal thing. 

Confronted by the paradox of the painful abrasion next to such perfect beauty Tony gasps, "oh Louis."

"Is it bad? It really hurts." Louis asks.

"Um, it's severe enough we need to tend to that properly. I'm going to put some of this antibiotic on that."

In Tony's head to himself he is saying "Focus on the gash, just the gash, do NOT look at the other."

But as he begins to try to slide along the irritation only Tony finds his finger makes a pass too close to Louis' hole leaving a slop of cream there intended for someplace else. 

"Um, kinda missed there. Sorry."

Louis is laying very still and keeping his cheeks spread. He replies softly.

"It okay. You can touch me there."

Tony's throat tightens. Okay?

"I'll just wiped that off. Okay?"

"Okay. You can touch me Tony. It's okay."

Tony tries to wipe away the cream but it wants to stay in the recesses of Louis' opening. This is how it happens. Fingers too clumsy for such delicate perfection Tony experiences another compulsion where his body is moved to act without his brain being aware until its happened. Tony licks Louis' hole to remove the cream. He's mortified that this compulsion came over him like when touching the famed cheekbones. But it overtook him powerfully. 

His brain triggered he was lapping away ointment with little flicks over the entrance when he hears how Louis makes a gasp-like breath. Instead of rejecting Tony's blundering Louis tilts his pelvis up slightly and his body shudders. 

Tony stops monetarily but when he pulls back ever so slightly he notes that realigned Louis is keeping very still. His hands still grip his plump cheeks keeping himself exposed. Tony goes over the little pink hole once with the tip of his index finger which agin does noting to remove cream and so Tony lets himself go. He presses forward and licks Louis freely. Making flicking, small licks he mixes that with some tongue circling the rim and soon this has Louis panting and shuddering. Tony is keenly aware that Louis is keeping his body prone to faciltate this. Louis even maintains his submission when Tony accidentally lets his facial hair brush against the nearby gash. Louis hisses from the sear of it. But when Tony pauses for intending to apologize Louis whispers.

"More please."

This unbridles Tony's senses. 

He dives in. Literally. He resumes with first pushing the tip of his tongue against the rim of the tight hole. He laps over Louis' opening in sloppy, increasingly noisy efforts. He attempts to suck on the awakening opening with lips pursed tight. In alterations these efforts Tony makes more kitten licks.

Tony knows he's got Louis aroused because of two distinct changes in Louis' composure. 

Audibly, Louis is cooing. He pants, he gasps. He also maintains his inviting pose with hands gripping his arse tight. Adding to these the tiny responses of his hole's virgining twitching signals his pleasure. Most notable Louis is also rutting himself into the bed under him. No longer is he stilled and tilted for Tony's access. He's moving to try to get friction on his cock that is pressed underneath him. Tony imagines Louis is painfully hard, wanting to come, certainly Tony feels that way himself. 

Another request for "more" comes from Louis though he's slurring it among moans. Tony wishes he could sustain his urges long enough to fully treat the request with a slow process of gently opening Louis, fingering him, preparing him for much more. It's just this seems too fast. To much of Simon and Paul's abuse lingers on and within Louis. Louis is vulnerable and maybe mistaking this as an obligation. Tony doesn't want Louis like this. Obligated. 

Taking the ask for more as a need to come, Tony stops eating Louis out. He kisses the bum cheek on this side with none of the new abrasions and he gently rolls Louis over ever so slightly so that in the resulting twist Louis' dick pops free from its pinning. 

Sure enough Louis is hard, his slit is creamed with precum. 

Tony has never had dick before. Never wanted actually even though he makes weird homo-toned jokes with Rhodie from time to time. Confronted with Louis beautiful, needy cock, Tony engulfs it going all in with a full deep-throat in one immediate quick move. 

Louis throws his hands to each side of himself gripping handfuls of sheet while laying in the twist as he chokes back a moan and can't help it trust himself up a little. Louis is murmuring " oh yes, please" and "Infamous" as Tony begins sucking Louis off using a throat constricting kind of action mostly and keeping Louis deep in his throat. 

It's less than a minute of this before Louis is screaming. Tony lets most of the spasming dick slide free, taking the base of Louis' dick in a hand, while keeping the head of Louis' cock in his tightly sucking and swallowing mouth. It's only when Louis passes a threshold that seems like pleasure is becoming pain that Tony releases all but the pressure of his hand from Louis' dick. 

The post-orgasmic-Louis that Tony looks upon is a thing of indescribable beauty. He's flushed, sweaty, blissed. Or as Tony said he's "truly exceptional. Extraordinary. Exquisite. Perfect." It's even more ironic again that on the wall over the head of the bed is that image of Harry wrapping slave Louis in his arms and how perfectly Karukara captured from imagination what is lying here made wrecked like this by Tony. 

"You are perfect like this, exquisite." 

"That was...perfect." Louis says. His words make Tony note how his lips are red probably from biting them. Looking at them Tony wants to slip his engorged cock between them. Like reading Tony's mind, Louis reaches out easily finding Tony because he's sporting a extremely good size erection. 

Tony starts to say "That was my first..." when the simple act of Louis touching his cock makes him begin to shoot ropes of cum. It spatters all of Louis lying before him, including one cheekbone. When Tony stops his loud exclamation of pleasure Louis says what might be finishing the sentence but it soon becomes apparent is absolutely not. 

"Blowjob?" And as he holds onto Tony's strikingly yet sustaining hardon, "or are you gonna fuck me now?"


	23. Chapter 23

"Absolutely not." 

Tony says looking down on a pleasingly submissive liking Louis. Compelled by the sight, unaware Tony can't help but move his hips down making it so the tight grip of Louis' small hand has on Tony's cock keeps them easily connected. Tony is still hard. Impressively hard, his body is fueled by what he just did, he's ready for more.

Louis placcidly lays there as Tony left him flushed with a rosy tinge over his golden skin, sweaty and gleaming, marked with accents of Tony's cum. In two words Louis is "beautifully wrecked". 

Inconceivably, Tony doesn't pursue a long desired urge. He could easily flip one of Louis' legs to the side making Louis lie flat on his back, legs spread and simply take this advantage available to plow into this blissed, pliant, expecting pixie; Tony did pay handsomely for the right. 

But no. He hasn't the right. People are not bought or sold. They are earned. 

"Louis, absolutely not, you're not here with me for me to use your body," 

Thoughts evaporate because Louis has put a hand on his jizzed chest while he takes in what Tony is saying like he has never heard of respect for him before. He seems unaware that he is rubbing in the cum as he is waiting for what Tony commands.

Of course he is waiting for orders. It's all Louis knows. 

It's so sad and sweet all in one that Tony drops his righteous speech, because Louis was never Tony's to buy anyway. 

Tony takes a finger swipe from where a notable splat of his cum hit Louis' cheekbone. Looking at the almost-welcoming-looking-Louis Tony nearly acts feed it to Louis as he wants to touch Louis' reddened lips, to part those them with his cock that Louis still holds firm in one hand waiting for Tony's demands. Tony knows Louis will take him to those lips, but. 

Instead Tony moves the sticky glop he recovered from Louis' cheekbone to Louis' cock where Tony rubs it between his thumb and the slit of Louis' cock for moistness to make the effect a pleasing one for Louis. Leaning into Louis so breath tickles Louis' neck, Tony explains the boundaries.

"Absolutely not Louis. Not until you are healed. And you are ready, and you ask, not until you truly want me." 

Tony lets his lips break all rules and meet skin. He presses them on Louis' neck and begins nibbling and sucking salty sweet Louis as his thumb keeps rubbing over, and over using the cum to sensitize the head of Louis' cock by only working the slit. Whether it's that or Tony's mouth on Louis' skin, Louis begins writhing. Some small perkiness of Louis' cock livens more and more quickly. Tony feels the resurrection in his hand. This inspires him. 

Tony moves kissing over more of Louis' neck, down, along his shoulders, sucking skin in the divots - legendary divots of collarbones which many fan fic authors wrote of Harry taking shots - circling back to Louis' neck and finishing with nuzzles along the underside of Louis' jaw. All the while he releases Louis' dick just long enough to find more sticky lube, that is his own drying cum, to wipe from Louis' chest and return to aid his stroking Louis' slowly fattening dick. 

Louis begins to breathe faster, writhing more. He questions Tony.

"Aren't you going to fuck me though? You aren't really going to wait. Si--"

The name "Simon" doesn't fully leave his lips. 

Tony has dropped to Louis' pelvis and is again taking Louis' pretty cock in mouth. Feeling this makes Louis halt the use of the offensive name of his former master.

Doing the second ever blowjob of his life Tony is trying a different approach. He wants to fully wreck Louis. 

Certainly having been a recipient of so many blowjobs, some spectacular, Tony has a repertoire to pull from. He makes Louis does a reposition so Louis comes to lay flat on his back, legs parted wide to allow Tony working room. Louis struggles to keep his pelvis somewhat in place because Tony is giving Louis a very different kind of stimulating experience. The approach is more tongue licking the length, tongue swirling over the knob, flicking playfully on the slit. This unravels Louis quickly.

Bucking hips and hands clenching Tony's too short hair accompany screams as Tony again sucks Louis through an orgasm that took far longer to build but is quicker to go to pain. When the climax ends and Tony pulls back he finds he has made a satisfyingly more deeply, complete wreck of Louis. This pleases Tony immensely. Louis is flushed red over his gold-tone skin again and bleary like he has nothing left. Lips are so red once more that Tony fears they are bleeding.

Louis finds the strength somewhere to speak.

"At least fuck me mouth. Come on, you might be big but I won't choke on it much."

"I can't do that Louis. You're just too beautiful and have been misused by them. I can't... would you instead please allow me to just hold you."

Tony gets no argument. As he lays down he pulls Louis into him with them both laying on their sides and Louis' bum seated into Tony’s lap. His thick, hard dick lays perfectly in the crease of Louis' bum. He's fleetingly holding off what he needs when Louis says it.

"At least do it on me like that."

It doesn't take any effort. Tony humps against the back side of Louis for a few minutes, his cock sliding between, pushing out those fabulous cheeks without any penetration. That little bit of suggestion is all it takes. Tony again coats Louis. This time it's Louis' bum and his back.

Louis doesn't mind seem to mind the hot cum. Even before Tony can think to say he's getting up to bring some towels he hears the sound of Louis, sleeping. Though it is daylight, a new morning for Louis everything is darkness; Louis is softly snoring softly. Tony leaves him to it.


	24. Chapter 24

Tony leaves Louis sleeping choosing to push through his own fatigue to get pressing things done. Rather than focusing on the work he should be addressing, Tony first goes to make the world a better place for Louis. 

Tony starts by releasing water from his various pools and adding fresh water. This is to dilute the chlorine content and make the pools more hospitable for Louis' burnished skin. Tony wants Louis to use the pools for a few days, keep Louis off the beach so his abrasions can heal. 

Next, instead of work, Tony engages in scannning news outlets for any recent news of how Harry Styles is fairing. 

Tony knows this abusive of himself. It only adds to his feelings of regret and self-loathing for finding Louis, bring him here- instead of back to his family, or to his love, Harry. Furthermore the Louis disappearance inflamed a sect of paps. From the beginning the intensely sick group have been voraciously pursuing harassing Harry. Some of them spin the suggestion that something, an unspoken secrete, between Styles and Tomlinson was at the root of the mysterious disappearance. A devastated-looking Harry in the gossip sources rips into Tony. 

Tony can't help but look at the Harry in pictures despite the guilt. Harry had nothing to do with any of it. Tony could easily end Harry's suffering. He could make it all go away. He could allow Louis to rediscover himeslf. Frustrated about Tony moves on to reading about sexual abuse. Driven by the way Louis expected and asked for it, for Tony to fuck him, seemed too easy, too unnatural. Sure enough more research and reading reveals that victims sometimes can't let go, even when freed from their abusers, of a need to please. Serial victim status is not unusual. Stockholm syndrom. After several hours Tony is not surprised to find the hour is approaching noon. Wanting to retore Louis back on a normal schedule Tony decides to prepare a light lunch, then wake Louis up to get him on track again.

Tony finds mid-day Louis in their bed as he left him. Soundly sleeping. Louis looks so pretty. Young. Appealing. 

Attempts to wake Louis result in nothing more than Louis rolling over and mumbling something unrecognizable. After several failures Tony asks a marginally cognitive Louis if he can touch. There's a grump noise. Louis makes this ambivalent sound, rolling away once more. Is a mixed message.

Every one of Louis' prior moves of resistance pulled sheets across the bed. The last one left them completely astray; Louis facing down, naked, gripping a pillow, bum beautifully displayed.

Simon's reference to fucking him awake comes to Tony's mind with the sight of the spectacular, bare arse. 

Taking the noise-answer as a "whatever" to the request to touch Louis, and that this might be considered life-saving...at least for Tony it seems to qualify as "yes". 

Tony lightly grips Louis' arse cheeks with one in each hand. He's careful not to squeeze too hard but he plays with them while verbally prodding Louis to wake.

Louis remains unwavering. 

Tony knows when he sees Louis' abrasions that what he should do is put a little more cream on some areas that look sore and let Louis sleep maybe just a few hours more but he can't help himself. He spreads the cheeks to reveal a pretty pink hole and looses himself to it. 

Lapping over the treasure, licking it, kissing and sucking nearby skin if it's unmarked, Tony is insatiable. He's barely begun to attempt to force pressing the tip of his tongue into the resistant rim of muscles when he realizes Louis is waking from the stimulus. 

One of Louis' hands reaches back and he finds the side of Tony's head, an ear, and Louis brushes against Tony in an accepting sort of way. 

Emboldened by the touch, Tony gets more dramatic with this endeavor. He makes his tongue to press harder on the entrance, laps over it and sucks it and with Louis moving the hand from Tony's face to hold one side of his luscious bum with the hand pulling wide Tony knows he has total acceptance. Tony uses a freed hand of his own to reach down under Louis as best as he can beginning to play with Louis' balls.

Suddenly Louis is up. Or part of him. Tripoding himeslf with chest down, his knees pushing into the bed giving himself some lift, one arm extending above his body to stabilize, he keeps the hand on his own bum exposing himself. Louis arches into this bum up pose and mumbles more sleepily than wakeful to Tony.

"More, please give me more." 

Tony has easy access to everything. He gives Louis' dick a few tugs before resuming playing with his balls. Abandoning Louis' hole Tony takes one ball partly into his mouth before licking from there back to the hole. Only after his laps a few times does he pause to reply. 

"Pretty thing that you are, I only wanted to share lunch with you, but here you are like this so accepting, so I guess I'll eat you out instead."

"Tony," the next words wait as Louis moans feeling Tony diverting all thoughts with resuming his oral play teasing Louis into wiggling, pushing his bum into pressure he feels when Tony trades licking and sucking for pressure of tongue on rim. 

"Wanna feel more, ....fuck me, ....fucking dick me with that, ....that, ....that cock of yours, please." The words had breaks between them as Louis was hot and trembling from the seduction.

Maybe if Tony hadn't burdened himself with the images of Harry he would have. His dick was hard and despite getting off multiple times so recently he could easily takes this a legitimate desire wanting to be fulfilled that he could honor. 

"No, sweet thing. You're too much a mess, too fragile and battered. I can get you there like this, like earlier. Only want to wake you for eating, taking care of you." Tony guides a warmed and welcoming Louis to his side and takes dick in mouth. With one hand holding Louis' erection Tony bobs up and down. Louis wiggles like he'll begin protests so Tony silences him. His other hands goes to Louis' face. A short moment cupping jaw in hand becomes hand over mouth with one finger slipping between lips entering.

So it is that Tony has Louis submitting to the blowjob with words muted as one hand keeps Louis' mouth pacified. Tony quite enjoys the way Louis accepts the mask-slash-pacifier and sucks on Tony's finger like it's really good dick. It's very few minutes of this before each are coming, Louis mostly down Tony's throat. Tony in his shorts with his dick completely untouched only his imagination from Louis sucking his finger to fill in the fantasy.

When Tony releases all contact with a bleary but satiated-looking Louis he raises up standing on his knees to speak. What he says is like this was all nothing, "So eat some lunch now? Please. We got to get you nourished. You're such a tiny thing. And your body won't heal fast if we don't take care of it.

*** 

They eat lunch together mostly in silence. Tony made a chicken salad on a bed of lettuce. It has grapes in it. Louis seems to like it. He also seems to be thinking a lot. His expressions give him away. But he remains mute mostly, enjoying the food. Once he's finished Tony takes him to outside to the pools. It's rewarding to have Louis smile a bit when he learns Tony set the water chlorine content to be better for him. 

The near-smile kills Tony. He can't resist it. 

"Louis, can I touch you?" 

Louis' smile fades he says "yes". 

Tony takes the beauty into his chest. With an arm around him he kisses Louis' forehead then lets him go intending to let Louis be for sake of working more when Louis prompts him unexpectedly. 

"Aren't you going to fuck me?" 

"What? Louis, you're back to that again? What do you expect, can’t you trust my promise to you, why are you asking me that again?" 

Louis plays with his hands and his feet shift nervously. "They said if Solange didn't like me it would be bad if I came back to them. They warned me. And, and, so far you've been so nice. I like the way you made these for me," 

Louis moves to play with the glimmering bracelet sensors. "I like that you've taken me to the beach, you're nice to me in other ways too, you, you, make me feel good, but," 

Louis stops. He seems afraid to say the next thing. 

"But? But what Louis?" 

Louis turns away slightly and is looking down. "They were nice too, at first. It changed. I don't want to go back to them, and I don't want you to change like they did." 

Tony doesn't ask. He just envelopes Louis in his arms. He lays kisses on the side of Louis' head and drifts down with his lips making little kisses along the side of Louis' neck and a shoulder. 

"You're never going back to them, to that abuse. And you can't ever make me want to hurt you like they did. I won't use you. Do I want you, god yes, I want you. Not like this though. Not when I see the marks they left on you. Not when you need to heal and figure yourself out. I’ll keep telling you this." 

Terminating that long clarification with another embrace and a kiss on Louis' forehead Tony adds a bit of humorousness to his final words because he feels positively overwhelmed by the adoration of Louis that is fueling him. 

"You should think of me as your personal man-servant. Here to fulfill your needs, beach excursions, meals, blowjobs, whatever. 24 hour service. For you I work cheap. I'm pleased if you only allow me the pleasure of pleasuring you." 

Louis looks more relaxed. "Okay. Weird, but okay." 

"Okay then. So I'm going to get in a little work downstairs. You okay staying out of the ocean for a couple days? We should get those new abrasions healed up a little. You got these nicely soothing pools to enjoy. Oh and I put some things in the main one, like weird shaped items that are here and there on the bottom of the pool. I thought maybe you'd like to dive down and search around for them or something." 

As soon as Louis' body goes into the hand on a hip position, the hip jutting to the side a little Tony knows from way too much study of every 1D video from interviews and the like that Louis is going to sass him for what he just said. 

"Are you telling me you put toys that sink in the pool for me to dive and find like I'm a little kid or something?" 

Yes. There it is. Some of the real Louis Tomlinson. Speaking with a tone that only Louis can make when saying something in a manner subtly condescending. It's sass, it's sexy, it's music to Tony's ears. 

Blushing, and glad Louis can't see this embarrassment, Tony shrugs at his stupidity. "Well, um, yeah. I thought it'd be fun for you." 

And just like that Louis says. "Okay, thanks." *** 

Hours later Tony has been progressing on some new coding he's interpreting into one of his designs. He's been watching the screen that shows the pool area. Louis was in and out of the pool. It did not go missed that he did actually take the bait and play the game of hunting for shapes. Each time he came out of the pool for a bit Tony would fight the urge to ignore his work because Louis had wisely chosen to swim naked allowing his sores to be unscathed by fabric. This means Tony had to deal with seeing how gorgeous Louis looks each time he reclines naked in the sun, letting it slowly dry the water that sparkles on his golden skin. Whether he laid face up or down it didn't matter, the beauty of him kept making Tony distractingly hard such that all work progress was slow. 

When Louis tires of the pool he goes inside. Tony hopes he's coming downstairs but apparently not. This allows Tony focus. He makes rapid progress and when he turns the security cameras to see where Louis is there is nothing to be seen. Flicking through all the rooms of the two floors above Tony sees no Louis. This is concerning because the cameras around the house have about 98% of the floor space covered. Maybe Louis is in the shower? 

Worried, Tony drops what he's doing, turns off his blaring music and dashes up the stairs. He could ask Jarvis who has an exact pinpoint of everything on the premise, but actually Tony is missing Louis. 

At the top of the stairs entering the main floor Tony knows immediately where Louis is though he can't see him yet. He hears him. 

One of the few corners of home that isn't picked up by security cameras is in the main room. It's a section of the room that has a riser in the subfloor elevating it a foot. Probably Louis hadn't noticed it until today because his ankle sensors would tell him there's this step up. The space is just large enough for the baby grand piano that is set there. Tony was never sure why he put a piano there given that he doesn't play, but something about the raised floor section, the way it's out of the way, yet prominent for viewing from the center of the room seems to suggest, piano. 

Seating there at the piano bench, still completely naked, and happily entertaining himself is Louis. He's getting some tune worked out, playing from memory as he tries to find the keys to make each note just right. It's song Tony has on his playlist. It's Black Sabbath. Tony's not sure that anyone has ever tried to recreate a Black Sabbath song on a baby grand. Certainly not while nude. But there Louis is, cofiguring a song from memory. Maybe he innately knows something of playing the piano. Maybe it's all experimentation. But he's fully enjoying it. So far he's not aware Tony is there. 

Something tells Tony to let Louis be. Maybe it's because it's something for him to do that Louis found all on his own and he's very keen on it. His face looks free of strain. Determined. Slightly amused when he strikes a bad chord. He makes silly faces when something sounds truly awful. It's adaroable. 

Tony leaves Louis to this. He returns to his work. Tomorrow he'll put a camera where he can see Louis at the piano. For now Tony only wants Louis to be free like this. Free and happy.


	25. Chapter 25

The prior day ended with Tony getting Louis to bed at a normal bedtime after a pre-sleep blow job where once again he made Louis come while creating in himself an urgency to follow suit. Louis did not ask Tony at anytime during the process to fuck him. He did however come down from his orgasmic rush with a Tony-awareness. When Tony was about to excuse himeslf to go jerk off, Louis insisted Tony do it there, in their shared bed, coating Louis in his cum. 

Something seemed changed between them Tony noted after he ejactualated on Louis. Something about the day was making things right. A relationship was building. While Louis was still in darkness and unaware of his true self he was for the first time able to control his world. The small improvement was a start.

So when Tony wakes the next morning he goes for a shower. Then he immediately gets a few more cameras set up and onto his system so now he can see places like the formerly never used piano. He also orders an acoustic guitar for Louis because he remembers how Louis has been seen to play some piano and some guitar. When the guitar arrives he'll put it on a stand in the corner near the piano and see what happens when Louis discovers it. Once he's placed the order he goes up to wake Louis.

Louis is contently sleeping. He's on his back. Tony pulls down the covers and studies Louis' body. More of the bruises from Simon and Paul have finally disappeared. It’s been a week since he brought Louis home. One day one Louis had had a lot of bruises on his neck, shoulders upper chest. Most of those are completely gone. Simon and Paul also left many marks on his pelvis, either side of his boyparts, upper thighs. Those were mostly indistinguishable now too. Tony applies some ointment to the new marks from the snare before he rolls Louis over while softly telling Louis it's morning, time to wake.

 

Louis doesn't wake at all. Tony notes the disappearance on Louis' backside of many marks from Simon and Paul befor he sets out to apply ointment to the new abrasions. Not once does Louis seem inclined to stir. So is this how it is to be? Another day of waking Louis by eating him out and sucking him off? Tony's okay with that. And a mid day repeat? Even better. Ending with a bedtime seduction to make it a balance of three? Sublime. But first to the waking.

The wake process is followed by their breakfast, then Tony inquires what Louis plans for the day. He's curious. Will Louis mention the discovery of the piano?

Louis is sassy again. It's a good thing. Tony loves it. "Well actually Tony I was thinking of doing some reading, and if inspired perhaps begin to write my own novel, you know."

"Okay, great. Can't wait to read it. But actually first how about I set you up with Jarvis. I was thinking you could learn more about this home of yours by interacting with him to explore. Who knows you might discover something to entertain yourself in this massive house, in case you're not too busy... with your novel."

Louis makes a face. Tony isn't sure what the face suggests. But notable Louis does not reveal he found the piano on his own. So Tony continues on. "Jarvis is set now to activate on your voice by any audible prompt from you. So if you want to talk to Jarvis, say his name from anywhere in the house or outside by the pool. He'll engage."

"Anywhere? He'll hear me anywhere? So if I'm talking to myself he'll join in?"

"No. You have to engage the conversation, say 'Jarvis', he'll reply. When you want him to ignore your talking, so you can talk to yourself unimpeded just make sure you end the Jarvis engagement by saying 'bye'."

Louis ponders this. "So what about when you're using him? I mean isn't he your computer, your assistant when you're working?"

"Certainly. But Jarvis can so multiple things concurrently. He can even interface actively with Warmachine even when we are both in an intense situation, like a combat."

Louis seems intrigued. It's written on his face. He only says "okay" and returns to his breakfast, eating like he always does with some pretty, almost feminine, delicacy. Once he's done he jumps up and says, "M' going to the pool. Did you make me new toys? That was fun."

Tony uses this question to show Louis how easy it is to activist Jarvis. Sitting at the table he just speaks. "Jarvis, Louis would like pool toys again. Send some to the pool. Oh and make a few new ones to add since he liked that so much."

Louis smiles. He joins in probably testing this new world. "Oh and Jarvis, this is Louis, would you make the new ones smaller, harder to find, that'd be great. Thanks."

Tony laughs. "Louis you don't have to say 'This is Louis'. He knows your voice. Say his name to engage him. Say 'bye' to send him away. "

"So did he get that? What I wanted?"

It's the voice of Jarvis that answers. "Yes Master Louis. I got that. Make the new toys smaller, harder to find. Anything else?"

Louis blushes. "No, Jarvis. Don't call me master though."

Tony laughs. "I'm sorry Louis. I couldn't resist instructing him to do that. We are all just your servants now. Here to do whatever you wish. I'll be leaving you to that once I clean up the dishes so I can get to some work. Have fun this morning. It's a hot day, the pool will be nice. We should reapply treatment to your scrapes after your done in the water. Maybe we can repeat our activities of midday yesterday if you want?"

Tony's forward suggestion was a risk maybe. Louis isn't shy in his reply. "I'd like that. And, could you, maybe shave me. I'm used to them, um, used to being kept like that. Besides the stubble hurts the sores."

Tony doesn't ask, he goes to Louis and kisses Louis' forehead. "Yes. We can do a full service; treatment, shave, eating arse, sucking you off, the works."

*** 

Th act of shaving Louis was an overwhelmingly erotic experience for Tony. It made for a best effort when he followed the grooming with the promised oral sex. It made Tony's own orgasm seem more intense too. Or perhaps it was that when he went to get up to do himself in the bathroom once again Louis insist he stay and Louis participated. He held Tony's cock in one stroking hand and his other hand forced Tony's to his mouth and he sucked on two of Tony's fingers moaning like he was sucking dick. 

It was all too good. Tony could have easily gotten hard again and fucked this pixie. This time Louis didn't ask unlike the day before. 

With both men satiated each went to their own activities. This time Tony was able to spy with ease on Louis' exact actions. It was instructive. 

Apparently Louis first sits for awhile at the top of the stairs where he can hear Tony's blaring music. One of the new cameras caught this. After he finds some song he must like he goes to the piano as another new hidden camera shows. If Louis doesn't like how the playing progresses he goes mining for new tunes by again sitting in the stairwells between floors until he finds a new song to try. This continues through the hours. Again at dinner Tony's fishing for insights into Louis' passing of time gets nothing from Louis about the piano. Whatever the reason for the secrecy, Tony respects it although two can play the game. 

After dinner a bell rings for the front door. It's a delivery from Neely Music store who Tony ordered a guitar from. When someone orders a $2,800 acoustic guitar from the store, sure, they can deliver it personally. Once Tony has thanked and sent the employee away he comes into the main room to find Louis curious who that was. He was obviously hopeful it was a person, a friend of Tony's who he could meet. He looks sad that it was just a delivery. Tony resists giving him the guitar despite the pout. He prefers to stay to the plan to stash it over by the piano and await its discovery. Perhaps that's a bit cruel, but then Louis is keeping quiet about the piano, so.

*** 

Another bedtime follows another bedtime blowjob. After this, once Louis is soundly asleep Tony goes to put the guitar in place. It sits in the very corner of the area where the piano is. Like parent on Christmas Eve, Tony can't wait. 

He doesn't immediately return to bed. Tony has another idea in mind. Noticing Louis tended to like one poolside reclining chair best, Tony takes a small cordless radio out to leave on a side table near that chair. He moves the side table slightly too having noticed Louis usually put the collection of sinking pool toys on it. The radio placed, Tony’s excited about yet another present for Louis to discover tomorrow. 

Like the guitar the radio was not ordinary. Unlike the guitar it was of Tony's uniques design. Therefore the radio was under Jarvis' control. The radio was set up to play from popular stations that Louis could choose among but with Jarvis filtering content. It would not play One Direction nor would it play news or radio commentary mentioning the band or its members. Jarvis would insert another piece if anything connected to 1D was introduced. 

Surprises in place Tony returns to bed. He finds himself needing Louis close. Noting that Louis had let him be much more touchy throughout the day inspires him. Tony risks pulling them tightly together. Whether it's the pill's effect or something else, the cuddle is not rejected. Tony's final thought before sleep takes him is maybe he should reduce the sleeping pill dose some. He's wanting Louis to be as natural and free as possible. It's healthier for him. Tony wants Louis healthy and happy.


	26. Chapter 26

The morning routine starts the same; Tony's mouth waking Louis by eating him into a frenzy, bobbing on his cock until the pretty thing cums. Once each of them is satiated, they have breakfast. 

Like each day before Tony finds Louis so cute in the morning light, the way he eats. Tony could do him again were it not for the ever growing list of things Tony is not getting done each day Louis is with him because Tony has way too much Louis on the brain. For example Tony has the upgrade ready for Rhodie, but he's yet to contact him or work efficiently on much of anything else. Mostly he ignores the growing list of messages and requests. Clearly Tony needs to focus on the tasks he's expected to complete. Mostly though he only wants to see what surprises Louis will discover.

"So Louis, whats your plan for the morning? Pool first again?" Tony asks coyly. He wants Louis to find the radio if he's repeating yesterday's agenda .

Before giving his answer Louis sips his tea holding the porciline cup with two small hands and a pinky finger off to the side. Cute as fuck, Tony thinks, cute as fuck. 

"No, maybe later, after lunch. It seems cool this morning, much cooler than yesterday."

"It is. A cold front came in last night. Once the sun burns off the morning haze it will get plenty hot though. So what are you going to do until then?"

"You know, work on my novel." Louis says with a raw, dry humor like the novel is a factual entity. "After I read for a bit first. of course."

Tony smiles. When Louis is his true self he is the most sexy. Tony wants to pick him up, take him to bed and fuck him senseless. 

Perhaps another day in the not too distant future.

"Okay, good. I'll be working downstairs. Enjoy the reading and writing. See you at lunch unless you get bored and want to come get me. If you need a pre lunch thing."

Louis smirks. It's hiding a smile. Tony knows Louis is loving being cared for in this naughty routine Tony commits to during their morning waking routine. Earlier this morning Louis was the most effusive yet about "how good" Tony makes him feel. 

 

Once Tony gets downstairs to work, starts his music blaring, sure enough Louis quickly moves to the stairwell eavesdropping. Louis is seeking a song to teach himself. He appears he takes a fancy to a song by Linkin Park. It's that which after hearing sends him to the piano where he plucks away at piercing together on the piano by memory. 

Watching him on the monitor Tony wishes he had a smooth way to get Louis to move around the piano without being obvious. For Louis to find the guitar he has to go all the way around the baby grand to where the corner is and there appears no reason for Louis to do that. Tony will have to contrive something. That Louis hasn't mentioned the piano at all is intriguing. What is going on in his pixie-pan head?

At lunch time Tony takes advantage of Louis' blindness and his own moving around here and there for making, plating their lunch to do something to trick Louis into finding the guitar later. 

Tony sets a timer on a wristwatch to sound off later, after lunch. As he actually mentions to Louis that he is setting their lunch table outside "on this increasingly beautiful day" he makes a brief excursion that Louis can't see walking through the house to drop the watch over in the corner so it's laying on the floor between where the piano is and the corner were the newly planted guitar rests.

Tony is immensely pleased with himself. He can't wait for lunch to end. Not only because he'll be taking pleasure with Louis, as is now their daily routine, but he's almost more excited for Louis to find the Martin guitar surprise. 

After they've had their post-lunch interlude, Tony pleasuring Louis with more haste than normal, Louis announces he's going to the pool. 

Damn. 

Tony's plot for leading Louis to the guitar might be ineffective. 

Yet, there is the radio surprise out beside the pool. So perhaps it's not the surprise Tony wants to treat Louis with first but it's still a good surprise. 

They part ways, Tony going to "work", Louis going to swim, look for toys; he'd asked Jarvis for more sinking treasures and make them harder to find, smaller still. Louis competitive side another alluring quality Tony delights in knowing it's the true Louis finding himself little by little.

It should be easy for Louis to discover the radio in its place. 

As soon as Louis accumulates a big pile of pool toys the pile expands out so he find the radio as he stashes the toys like he’s done on days prior placing them on a side table near where he likes to sunbathe. His hands quickly identify what the radio is. He immmediatley turns the radio on. He actually beams with delight when he hears music. Once Louis finds a station he likes he lays down on the chair beside it, putting and arm over his face. Reclining there, naked, beautiful, Louis is clearly happy in his newly expanding world. 

After sometime of seeing no movement by Louis Tony fears Louis is asleep. Tony is really wanting to do a slow reduction taking down the dose of the sleeping pill lower. He wants to find a dose at which Louis sleeps well at night but not be inclined to napping during the day. For this to work, Louis can't, shouldn't sleep in the day hours. Louis knows no difference in his black world absent of time. It's Tony's job to guide him.

Tony goes up the stairs. As soon as he's on the main residential floor Tony hears Jarvis start talking to an unresponsive (sleeping) Louis. 

"Louis, Tony is coming to join you. Louis? Louis, Tony is coming."

Clearly Louis is deep in sleep. Also he must have told Jarvis to alert him if Tony is coming. In the spying of the poolside actions Tony had no audio on of the events, Louis could have asked Jarvis to do this without Tony knowing. Obviously, Louis wanted no surprises poolside. Jarvis is clearly trying to alert Louis.

In all the times Tony has tried himself to wake Louis by saying Louis' name this has never worked. It isn't working for Jarvis either but as Tony nears Louis he too calls out Louis' name to try alert the sleeping Louis. 

"Louis?" Tony says coming very close, not expecting any reaction. It's a complete surprise when Louis reacts explosively, clearly alarmed.

Louis jumps up. He grabs for the radio guided by its playing music. 

Tony isn't quick to become aware of what Louis' impulsive, over-reactive response is driven by. He reaches to take Louis' radio clenching hands thinking he is only going to assist Louis who seems hasty to find the radio's off switch. Tony certainly intends no offense. It had also been many times in the past day or two of unannounced touching initiated by Tony that has been accepted by Louis. Like their rules regarding touching had changed, softened, disappeared even.

When Tony's hands meets Louis' the last thing Tony would expect happens. Louis shrieks a little, he jumps back, pulling away from the touch. Unexpectedly Louis trips back over the chair he'd been sleeping on. That causes Louis to fall backwards over the chair. Louis barely misses landing on the stone surface around the pool. Fortunately or not Louis lands back first in the pool with only his lower legs catching on the exterior, poolside surface for a fleeting second before he goes completely under water by the awkward fall. 

The unexpected trip into the pool has Louis taking the radio with him. Tony, jolted by the unexpected, jumps in too.

When they surface Tony has Louis in his arms but this sends Louis into a further manifestation of whatever this is. 

Louis begins fighting Tony. Despite having taken in water and struggling for air Louis acts like it's a battle for his survival. 

It doesn't take a lot of effort for Tony to overpower Louis but as he does this rescue of a fighting Louis Tony becomes aware a little too late that he's triggered some fear deep in Louis. Tony tires to reassure Louis, realizing he's inadvertently replayed an experience maybe mistakingly similar to what happened between Louis and Simon also triggered by a radio.

Tony does his best once he pulls the resisting Louis out of the pool via the shallow end where they can walk out an upward grade. With footing on the flat, solid surface at pools edge, Tony continues to try to calm Louis, but Louis is still in fight mode. Does he think the rescue Tony intended was a Simon-style drowning? 

Tony lets Louis strike him without retaliation while persisting in attempts to advance in wrapping Louis up in his arms. He's softly "shushing" Louis. If Louis would stop fighting he might hear this is not a challenge. Will Louis hear the comfort offered in Tony's voice? 

It seems to take an eternity. Maybe because Louis begins almost convulsing water. When something eventually snaps, maybe realizing Tony isn't hurting him back, Louis does finally stop fighting. Louis stops his struggle completely becoming limp in Tony's arms. His first words to Tony are between virgining tears. 

"Please don't, don't punish me, I just found it, turned it on, I'm sorry. Don't punish me please!"

Tony pulls Louis into him, rocks him, kissing his forehead, neck and shoulders. 

"Louis I would never punish you. Silly boy I put that radio there for you myself. I wanted to you to find it. I want to please you. I'm sorry for grabbing your hands but you were struggling to get it turned off and I only wanted to help. I'm sorry. I promise, no punishing Louis here. Only pleasuring you."

Louis ceases his adrenaline-induced trembling. He seems to pull himself into Tony like his life depends on it. He turns his head so his lips are in the crux of Tony's neck and jaw. His lips there Louis places a kiss on Tony's skin. 

Louis' soft kiss on his neck sends something like an orgamsic, tingling rush burning over Tony's entire body. With that, Tony can't resist. His lips find those of Louis'. It's soft a soft, tender kiss at first but as Louis accepts it Tony takes more. He pushes his tongue into Louis mouth and makes the kiss into a passion, heat-filled kiss. Tony only breaks the kiss because Tony fears he's taken the breath from Louis that Louis had barely regained so he moves his lips to Louis' neck, under his sculptured jaw, collarbones to allow Louis to properly catch his breath. Hearing how Louis isn't gasping for air but panting for the pleasure of this Tony returns to lips on lips, parting Louis' with his tongue. He continues kissing Louis until Louis stops him by putting a few words out mumbling their kiss. The words speak the dream.

"I want you. Please. Fuck me, please."

Overridden with yearning Tony has towels thrown down for softness in a split second. He guides Louis to lay face down on to the pile of towels. Legs are splayed apart as Tony is again, with much experience now, diving into warming Louis' entrance to his seduction. This is exactly when a more-than-patient, curious James Rhodes enters the outdoor patio where the pools and ocean view overlook lay.

Jim knows Tony's estate to the tiniest detail. And being a close partner in the work Tony does no alerts ever sound when Jim comes to Tony's house. Besides Jim has all the access codes. 

Needless to say Jim was only expecting to discover a reason why Tony was stalling on the Warmachine upgrade and ignoring messages from everyone. He was not expecting to witness anything like this. 

There beside the pool is a bronze, bare boy, spread eagle and face down on a pile of towels. Between his legs with face buried in said boy's ass is Tony Stark...playboy, womanizing Tony Stark. It appears that Tony is eating ass like his life depends on it. He too is stripping off clothes while trying to keep his face buried in ass. From where Jim stands he can see a pretty impressive erection fitting of the man called Ironman when Tony removes his boxers. 

Apparently Tony has a new toy. Something that he's kept secret. Jim backs away stepping back into the house through the door which he just came and quietly closes the door between house and patio.

Shakened, stunned, untterly dumb with disbelief Jim speaks to Jarvis. "Jarvis, let's pretend I was never here. I'll get back to Tony later, cool with that?"

Jarvis replies, "Got it. You were never here."

Jim leaves the estate feeling really confused. When did Tony get gay? Who's the boy? He decides to call Banner. Has anyone been talking to Tony lately?


	27. Chapter 27

Rhodie leaves Tony's home shaking his head, filled with disbelief. 

Sure there are many times in the past that he can recall how Tony made weird, slightly homo comments. These were usually bizarrely flirtatious suggestions mid-battle. Jim discarded them as nothing more than conflict-induced quips to break tension, they seemed too bland to be signs of anything meaningful, like how Tony was internalizing something he needed to share. Jim showing up unannounced appears to have been a bad idea. He only dropped without scheduling because it was over a week of Tony being strangely non-communicative with anyone he works with. The Warmachine upgrade was a perfect example and a reason for such an impromptu visit.

***

Out behind the house still where Rhodie saw them Tony has Louis as they were on the stone work at the pools' edge. Unaware of the intrusion Tony is making Louis into a sweaty, wet mess. 

Louis is positioning himself with his back-arched, hips lifted slightly, his own two hands are keeping his cheeks spread for Tony. Tony pulls away from the pretty hole he has licked open, tongue fucked and sucked to the point of making its pink rim spasm. Standing on knees raised over Louis Tony gives his hard cock some tugs and enjoys how Louis looks from his dominant point of view. Louis' skin is glistening. His arse is particularly wet from Tony's sloppy enticement of Louis for what is to come next. 

Barely any of the words Louis was saying as Tony ate him out were registering with Tony's brain because he was very noisy, lavish and eager in his approach. Now as he pauses and admires Louis from the view looking down Tony wants to drive his cock into this body so badly. But Louis is far from ready for the size of him. Tugging on his aching cock, Tony is wishing he didn't feel so close to coming already. Apparently their three-times-a-day ritual of Tony eating Louis out, sucking him off and coming on Louis' chest or backside without penetration over the last several days has Tony's dick primed for the habit. The head of his dick has a mind of its own; "paint Louis with cum" it says. 

Tony closes his eyes to protect himself from seeing the beauty submissively prone befor him. He purposefully jerks himself a few times in a very intentionally discomforting way while talking himself down and thinking of unpleasant, cock blocking things. He can't plow into a completely unprepped Louis yet. He tries to subdue his engorged state by remembering his worst of the worst sexual experiences. He slaps his cock with one hand and haphazardly thinks of some women who were memorably awful sexual partners. Surely this will stave off his erection. 

Words Louis is saying to Tony are blurred by the pile of towels his head is on. He is still far too, too tight. Virginal. In the past several days together there has only been a tip of Tony's tongue in the boy's ass. Nothing remotely approaching the size of Tony's cock has breached the finely muscled rim.

Casting aside his efforts to ignore his stiff cock, which hurts to do so, Tony seizes Louis' hands which are still maintaining a spread of his cheeks. This leaves Tony's hands on top of Louis' hands gripping Louis' arse cheeks. What Louis was saying when Tony went rogue over his dilemma, as Louis continued to make himself prone still isn't registering in Tony's head. He just holds onto Louis' hands. Louis' hands spreading his bum to reveal his hole. Louis making his pleas.

Tony focuses. Louis is asking for more. "Louis, you know you're much too tight for taking me. In all all our days together you've had nothing more severe than the tip of my tongue your breaching pretty entrance," 

Tony weighs his temptation against how delicate Louis is; massiveness of his cock verses the nagging reality of how Louis is small. He hasn't been fucked by anything since Simon and Paul used him in their so-called "celebration". 

"nothing like my cock has passed your lovely, finely-muscled rim, you're so tight. And small." 

Louis pleads again for more. He sounds near tears. 

Talking a stabilizing breath before attempting his first time fingering Louis open doesn't help. Tony almost shoots his load from the sensation of Louis' rim resisting against his finger. He's dumfounded; it's only one digit, the second finger, and only the tip of it pressing into Louis yet Tony wants to come from the delight of it. This makes him laugh a particularly half-nuts sounding laugh because the finger isn't even inserted all the way to the first joint. However the penetration is deeper into the tight heat than Tony's tongue has ever made it so Tony's cock begins oozing precum.

Louis gasps for it. He tilts his pelvis more. Again Louis says things that Tony doesn't register as intelligible. Tony is half way to Narnia and he yet to put his cock anywhere near this body he wants so painfully deep that he hurts for it, desire swelling from nothing more than a finger tip barely pushed in. How will Tony hope to survive doing more? 

Reaching up to adjust Louis' position so he can hear him. Tony moves Louis' arms over Louis' head on the towels under them. With Louis' hands releasing his parting hold of his cheeks they come to press against Tony's hand which still has a tip of a lone finger in him. 

Once Tony has moved Louis' arms up like to brace him for inevitable fucking, Tony runs a hand over Louis' back, down to his ass. He slaps the plump bum which is sandwiching his other hand with the one fingertip inside Louis' hole. Next Tony's roaming hand gropes Louis' semierect cock and fondles his balls. His hands sweep back up and over Louis' back side before finding hair and pulling Louis' head so Louis is forced to arch even more submissively before him. Louis is murmuring. Tony still can't hear him. It's simply that his cock is aching an intruding his rational thought.

With Louis positioned like every fantasy of him any gay man dreams Tony uses the traveling hand to position his precum coated wet knob against the hole as he removes his finger tip. 

He shouldn't have done this. 

Bobbing his knob that is becoming wetter and wetter from the temptation against the pleasing hole makes flushing rushes overtake Tony. He could come if he penetrates even no more deep than his fingertip did. He oh so wants to finger Louis no more, just take him. Months of his secret gay porn consumption has made him this reckless. It's then that finally Tony hears what Louis is saying. Maybe this is what he has been saying all along but now his face isn't muzzle by a pile of towels.

Louis is asking for it.

Sure.

He doesn't want to go back.

He thinks he needs to be punished. The radio. Louis keeps apologizing for the radio. 

The experience they just had when Tony surprised Louis as they both struggled with the radio has Louis relieving the radio incident at Simon's, the pool. Simon was enraged by Louis playing a radio. Why was it so horribly inexcusable to Simon that Louis found, turned on a radio. Maybe 1D was playing? Who knows. But Simon almost tried to kill Louis. He nearly drowned him from what Tony gathers. 

For the first time Tony wonders, just how did the first accident befall Louis? What exactly, who exactly, made Louis devoid of his identity and blind? Clearly he has been with Simon and Paul since that happened. What was it? Then Tony focuses on what Louis is saying at this exact moment.

Louis is accepting what he feels, Tony's wet knob pressing at the door of his unprepped body. 

"Please, punish me, please. Do anything, just don't send me back to them. Please."

Tony jumps up to his feet and away from Louis. 

So much does he want this prize he's bought. But no. He feels so horrified by his near mistake that he is now the one that is near convulsing. How could he let himself be so foolish? 

What has brought Louis to ask for him is not the right thing. Tony knows from his research this is Louis speaking as a victim of long abuse. It not choice. It's that he sees Solange as the lesser of evils. Better than Simon and Paul.

Louis turns over on the towels knowing only that Tony has suddenly pulled away.  


"Tony? "

He looks so young and frightened. He repeats the ask more alarmed, "TONY!"

This is not how it should be.

When Tony sweeps forward Louis' hands grasp for him, one landing on Tony's thigh one orienting from that to find and grasp onto Tony's erection. Louis is on he's knees and he's at perfect height sitting on his heels to suck Tony off. 

"Please, I'll be good," Louis just gets out before he opens his mouth and quickly takes the head of Tony's cock into his mouth. 

This is not Tony's intention. But the feel of it so right is like a shock. His attempt to comfort Louis is arrested as he has Louis' mouth taking him in. Tony's hands goes to Louis' head as Louis begins to sink. 

Louis has tears running down his face and he's whimpering. 

With every bit of strength Tony can muster he pulls Louis' hair then pushes Louis away. This sends Louis into a fit of pleas but Tony forces him back and down onto the ground as gently as he can making Louis go to lie on the towels with Tony coming ontop on him wrapping him in arms as a sort of lover's tackle. 

The pleas become more a sobbing. Tony tries to hush Louis and make the restraint less of a pinning, the comfort greater. He caresses Louis, kisses his cheek and forehead like parent would a child. 

Sobs become whimpers. Louis yields. He gets hauntingly quiet. 

"Please don't send me back." Louis says in a soft voice after a long silence. 

Tony answers Louis with a tender, somewhat passionate kiss, accompanied by more touches that are gently placed reassurance. When he speaks Tony makes his voice softer than he ever has in his memory. He holds Louis tight. 

"Louis, you have nothing to fear. You did nothing wrong, the radio was meant for you to find. I'm never sending you back. They don't get to hurt you ever again." 

Tony feels Louis start shaking before he starts a weird kind of crying. Tony lets him. 

It's sometime before Louis settles. Despite his trauma, the emotion, when Tony loosens his hold and assesses Louis there is only one way to describe him. 

Beautiful. His eyes look more blue. The tip of his nose is pink making him look more cute, way too close to too many images Tony knows from many 1D fan artist. Turns out the artists pegged it, mastered how a vulnerable Louis looks. All that Louis needs to complete the look is an oversized sweater and this is a match yet another of Tony's favorite Louis depictions by talented young artist. 

This gives Tony and idea. 

Standing he pulls Louis up. 

"Follow me." Tony says taking Louis by hand leading him into the house. 

Once in the main room Tony takes Louis to one of the couches and guides him to sit. 

"Wait here." Tony says. He runs to get a big, sloppy, soft hoodie. It's one of his and he knows it will fit on Louis in a fashion like an oversized jersey meets a mini dress. 

"Put this on, then give me your hand." 

Louis follows the instructions. His hand that lifts is trembling. 

Tony takes it, pulling Louis. 

"Come with me." 

They walk across the main room with Tony waking backwards holding both of Louis' hands. Tony knows Louis has a sense of their path moving toward the piano. Louis' hands in his feel like they tense slightly. His face looks pale. 

Reaching the piano. Tony stops at the step up to its pedestal flooring. 

"Where are we Louis? What did you find here?" 

Louis looks down. He's afraid. 

Tony takes Louis' chin in his hand as he speaks. "It's okay. I know. Sit, please, at the bench." 

Louis sits guided by Tony on the bench of the piano while remaining silent. He's got an expression of uncertainty. Fear. 

Leaving Louis so perched Tony goes around the baby grand talking all the while. 

"I came up from my work the other day and I heard you. It was so lovely. You, enjoying yourself, playing something as you created one note at a time." Tony comes back knowing Louis has a good idea where Tony stands by tracking the sound of his voice. Louis doesn't know Tony holds a guitar in one hand. Tony continues. 

"I assume you don't know if you know piano. It doesn't seem like it matters. It's fun, it's audible, you can enjoy teaching yourself. So that gave me the idea. But you see you didn't tell me you found the piano. I thought maybe it was a control thing; you're like a teen, needing your secrets. Controlling your world. I respect that. That why I put the radio for you to discover and didn’t tell you. I want you to have control over your life. And, Louis, I bought something for you, here." 

Tony pushes the guitar toward Louis. 

Louis takes the guitar with it making an immediate unmusical noise because it's an instrument and has been clumsily exchanged. 

Louis doesn't move once he has it in hands. Not for several, eternally long seeming, seconds. 

He speaks at last as he wraps the guitar in his arms and tears flow. Though there are tears he smiles. 

"For me? Do I play?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all the island and coastal people/ critters are safe though these climate-denier, corporate greed caused hurricanes that those annoyingly smart sciency-geeks have predicted for 50 years.


	28. Chapter 28

"I don't know, I really don't Louis. I think maybe you played, some."

Tony tells Louis this as Louis maintains a bewildered look on his face. Tony is afraid to admit that he's seen Louis in pictures with a guitar or at a piano. There's an iconic picture of Lions and Liam sat together at a piano back in the early days of 1D when Liam dropped the Bieber-look hair to go with his naturally curly locks. He'd give those up in time as Harry became known as the curly head one and fans brought heat to Liam for "imitating" Harry. There was the picture of Louis at the piano on a visit to BBC Radio 1 as a guest with the dj Greg James. And countless still photos of Louis with a guitar. But did he play much? If Tony speculates in his answer that he thinks Louis does surely Louis would ask more. How does Tony know that? On the other hand Tony can't risk giving Louis any ideas that aren't full of encouragement. So he conjures words of hope. Everything he's read about abuse victims is their need for hope.

"What I do know," Tony says coming to sit on the piano bench beside Louis with purposeful closeness and an arm slipping behind Louis' back, low, intimately placed below Louis' waist, “is that you seem to have some musical sense, talent, when I heard a little bit of the playing you were doing at this piano. I think the guitar will be fun for you to play around with too. If it makes you smile..."

Tony stops because Louis turns and pecks him on the cheek with a tiny kiss. It's childlike. And adorable. And of course because it's Louis Tony gets an immediate erection starting. 

He resists the impulse to kiss Louis back. Jumping up from the bench Tony announces he's going to make them some lunch. It's clear that the strain of the morning events has Louis fatigued. Eating will help. Time to reset the day.

As Tony moves across the room to the kitchen area Louis relocates with the guitar in hand to one of the big, overstuffed couches. He keeps the guitar held like a thing he needs to cradle, cherish. At least for several minutes. He seems to be trying to reconcile what this is. This. All of this with Tony.

Tony slows his making of their lunch. He wants to enjoying watching what Louis does. 

Little by little as minutes click by Louis begins to loosen a protective coveting of the instrument and he begins to feel it, pluck a single string, each one one at a time, make adjustments of his fingers along the guitar neck. When Tony finally pushes forward to plate lunch their lunch Louis is beginning to play with fingering of chords. 

***

As they eat Louis is again far too quiet. He looks so good though clearly tired. Emotionally whipped.

Tony clears dishes and intercepts Louis at the table they were sat at outside, beside the pool. His hands takes Louis' as he asks, "This is when we usually..."

Their three times a day ritual, once that started it was addictive. Tony enjoys it immensely; he thinks Louis does too. Louis seems uncertain. His brows furrows.

"If I ask you to fuck me, will you?"

Tony wraps Louis in an embrace and one hand takes Louis' jaw in hand, fingers brushing over skin and lips.

"You know I need you heeled. I need you reacting to something that is not driven by your fears. Today is not that day Louis. How about we skip out usual post-lunch activity. I'm going to do some work downstairs. You play with your new guitar, the piano, whatever. Maybe tomorrow those scrapes from the fishing snare will be better, we can resume getting to the beach. You need time, Louis. Healing."

Louis gives in to the hold. All tension leaves his body. After a few minutes he turns so he's nestled into Tony his face buried in Tony's chest. 

"Okay. But after dinner will you have a bath with me?"

***

It's probably the request for a bath that has Tony being frenetic and ineffective at work all afternoon. He really should acknowledge his colleagues, Rhodie, the warnings from his team about the annoying MIT grad, Tony-Stark-wannabe by the name of Jared, who's been poking around. Trying to start something.

Jared. That isn't even his real name. It's a name he adopted when he somehow learned Tony had someone key to his work who he called Jarvis.

Anyway, Tony ignored his priorities and spins time away aimlessly. He has too much Louis in his head. 

After dinner, a dinner which included for the first time a slight amount of wine as Tony was beginning to entertain reducing Louis' sleeping meds in increments, the wine being something Louis enjoyed greatly, they had a bath as Louis suggested.

Why the candles? Tony asks himself this because as they enter the water filled, giant sunken tub together. He has to warn Louis of the candles arranged around the tub edge because, dumbshit-Stark, though that candles would be romantic. Right, candles for a blind person.

Turns out this candle-thing is romantic to Louis. Temperature exploration is another toy for him. Neurons are firing. 

In the sunken tub Louis feels around the edge letting his detection of the candle's heat tell him their placement as they warm his wet hands. Blind to them, he clearly likes the effort they represent of Tony attempting romance. He likes their aroma too. Tony had decided on candles with sage and cedar, a hint of cinnamon.

For some time they relax in the tub together with Tony discussing various random things, mostly he is talking about music; what he likes about this band or that one. Louis learns the names of the songs he's tried to reconstruct, who the band's are. He's keenly interested. After awhile he moves in the massive tub. Coming from sitting acrosss from Tony where they were face to face at opposite ends Louis moves to sit with Tony. Soon Louis has his back pressing on Tony's chest. He's practically on Tony's lap. Tony gets hard immediately. Funny that, Louis' hand finds the erection. He clasps it in one hand. 

Tony immediately moans and reacts. Eyes closing, his body tingling, his erection strengthening. 

Two slides of Louis' hand along his length and Tony is aching for Louis. He can't tolerate this. 

Tony grabs the slippery wet body of his bath partner lifting him from the tub; it's a sudden move. The haste sends water splashing everywhere most of the candles are splashed out. Getting Louis to just outside of the tub their bodies come to the floor as one where a fluffy bath rug and a bounty of towels are at hand. 

Putting Louis on the floor, face down Tony presses on Louis' back, slapping his bum very lightly on the less abused side. "You know I can't take that, Louis, you shouldn't play with things that can get out of control like my cock." 

Keeping Louis pinned Tony reaches for a drawer of a nearby small, ornate chest. Opening it there is a collection of small bottles, accessories for certain kinds of adult play. Tony finds a wooded knob onto which a pair of small feathers are secured. 

Tony's slaps Louis' arse again very lightly, and commands him. "Spread those lovely thighs of yours." 

Louis does as he is told. He tilts his pelvis making his body accessible even more. With the glistening of water coating him he looks sinful as hell and Tony knows he could easily slip into allowing this to go too far. 

Keeping the feather toy in the hand Tony first laps his tongue around and over Louis' hole while keeping the controlling hand pressing down on Louis' back. 

"Wider, Louis spread your legs wider." 

Louis does this and he puts his hands to use making his cheeks part for a Tony. There it is. Tight, tiny, pink and pristine. Nothing like when he first brought Louis home. Tony laps and licks over it just enough to have Louis expecting some penetrating tongue when Tony changes his approach. He blows breath over skin letting it dry. He flicks the puckered entrance with the tip of his finger. 

"Yes, finger me open." Louis murmurs. "Let me come on your fingers, please." 

Tony bites the skin on the one side of Louis' bum which is free from any blemishes, Simon-made or snare-caused. The nip leaves a little mark and Louis yelps. He also can't help but to rut his developing erection into the surface under him. " Fingers please." Louis says. 

"You'll take what I give you." Tony says. 

He sees Louis shiver like he's excited. This makes Tony smile. Blowing more hot breath over the prize Tony moves to use the feather. As soon as Louis feels it he is shivering with more pronounced excitement evidenced as goosebumps rise, his thighs tremble, moans mix with pants. 

A few minutes of this as the feather travels, over a pretty hole, along plumb neighboring bum, to tickle balls and Louis is mewing and undulating his pretty, hard penis on the soft rug under him. 

It's a bit of a shock when Louis feels something else Tony had beside the bath, warming slightly in a pool of its own. A gush of warm oil replaces what was feather sensations. Tony spills the oil so it coats from the parted cheeks running down over the sensitive hole and dripping on and over Louis' balls. Louis gasps with the warm, wet surprise. He's barely had time to try to speak when Tony begins slipping an oily finger into Louis. It goes barely half way to the first knuckle and Louis writhes, fucking down against the supporting ground. 

Tony pulls out and inserts his fingertip again. This time to the knuckle and Louis gasps yes and rubs his cock into the floor again. On the next penetration it is to the second digit. Louis' skin is reddening in color, his thighs are trembling. Tony holds his finger in there just playing at what this does to Louis' rhythmic undulations. It makes Louis hold his breath and pause with anticipation. 

"Louis your so beautiful and tight. Your rim barely lets my finger push into you. How will you ever take the rest of me? You're so, so tight and so, so beautiful.." 

When Tony pulls the finger out. He takes a brief excursion to lick and suck the puckering hole. Wanting this, Louis pleads. "Just fuck me please." 

Tony slaps ass, somewhat hard. He picks up more oil from where it is coating everywhere using excess to line his finger anew he shoves the finger in again. This time it's to the deepest extent he can push. Louis hisses and hovers between shudders and stillness. Tony smiles, he plunges the finger in rough and fast again and again. When he feels Louis come this is heaven. Louis' body clenches his finger as he shudders and screams. Tony doesn't move his finger at all through the orgasm. He wants to memorize every detail of the feeling of Louis coming on his finger. It's all he can do to wait for Louis to come down before he directs Louis with both liberated hands to roll over so Tony can give two shakes of his dick to release his need to follow Louis. Coating Louis in his fluid is a consistent pleasure Tony must have this once his boy is satisfied. Louis always looks so natural, blissed and splattered in jizz like this. 

With tandem orgasms passed Tony finds Louis receptive to a deep tongue kiss as Tony remains on hands and knees hovering over Louis who lies on the floor pliant. It seems like if Tony wants to he could work himself into another erection, part Louis' legs, take him. 

After the kiss Tony sweeps his fingers over Louis' lips. It's tempting to inch up and put his dick between the lips. Louis looks expectant. 

"I could do more, couldn't I? You'd give in to me." 

Louis nods. "You treat me so good. You make me feel so good. I've never known anything like this. I want you." 

Louis finishes his last word and does the type of thing Tony images is natural, spontaneous and a a part of Louis' true self. He cups his hands on Tony's chest, sponatneously twisting Tony's nipples. Tony surges with arousal again. 

"God your gorgeous and naughty all in one." Tony says. 

The talk stops because Tony dips down and begins another deep kiss. Louis' hands stay on him, feeling over him, fueling Tony's excitment. 

With their new, deepening bonding, Tony feels the need to bring more pleasure to Louis again. He breaks their kiss, rolls Louis to his side and begins to rut his quickly fattening dick between oil-slicked cheeks. 

Louis grabs Tony's dick with one hand and tries to push the knob against his entrance. Tony slaps Louis' hand aside. He ignores temptation, instead he works himself faster, enjoying sloppily sliding his cock between plush, slicked arse cheeks and driving himself into a quick to finish with his frenzied approach. 

With Louis' back side a newly, sticky mess, Tony rolls Louis backwards so he's more twisted into chest facing up. Tony begins to suck Louis off. It takes much longer the second time for Louis to cum again but Tony much likes the taste of his own cum he's picked up off of Louis and Louis' in one. Tony's eats Louis out to break up the blowjob. He devours Louis' cock one minute than kisses Louis on the mouth, passionately, leaving the taste of them for Louis to share, before resuming engulfing Louis' cock. As Louis finally announces loudly, in repeated mantras of "m'gonna cum", Tony keeps the pressure on Louis, sucking him through the orgasm until he's certain any more will of this will cause Louis to expire from the pleasure to pain of it. 

Sure enough, on inspection after Louis looks a total a mess. A pretty image of exhaustion from good sex like he is meant to be. He's made for this. Tony uses the now tepid bath water and some wash cloths to wash away most of the mess on Louis. Once he's satisfied Louis is pretty clean he picks Louis up from the floor. 

"Ow" Louis says. Their hands are on each other's and Tony uses his to steady Louis. 

Concerned, Tony asks, "you okay?" 

Louis smiles. "Yes, but my thighs cramped so hard after my toes curled. It's hard to walk is all." 

Tony puts aside his first thought. To tell Louis how it's a promise; Louis won't walk for days once he's had Tony Stark in that tiny hole, but instead he sweeps Louis up into his arms bridle style and carries him to their bed. Louis seems to be happy, tightly held like this. Once on the bed they lay together spooning and before long soft snoring lets Tony know Louis is asleep. Tony wakes him slightly. Only enough to suggest Louis accept a pill. It's now down to a quarter of one pill Tony is asking Louis to take. Nothing like whe they first came together. Tony wants Louis free of all of what was Simon. Leaving Louis to clean up from their Tony finds that in the short time it takes for Tony to return from putting towels in a hamper, releasing bath water, Louis is completely out. Tony pulls him to his chest to make their bodies one once more. 

*** 

Their morning routine has been established for days now, be today's start much much later than normal. Tony rises making careful to leave Louis slumbering. He goes to have his shower which is time he likes to use to fantasize about just exactly how he will wake Louis. Somehow the scent of of sex is still on Tony when he enters the shower. That, along with his thoughts about waking Louis, set in motion Tony's inevitable morning erection. 

Tony wonders, will Louis having less chemical sleep aid, and a bit of wine make him able to wake more easily today? 

While he's in the shower his home accepts entry from a well known friend. Rhodie is back. It's mid morning. This is an acceptable hour to safely drop by. 

Checking the first place he expects Tony, at work, Rhodie finds the space vacant. He sits down and looks at what is open programs and materials Tony has out representing what has been consuming him. It's confusing. It's nothing like the usual Tony Stark stuff. There's even things he's working on researching about victims, sleep disorders, sexual abuse, eating disorders, depression all that sort of head stuff. 

Confused Jim decides to check around upstairs because Jarvis tells him when prompted that Tony is home and awake. He just hasn't gotten to work yet. This is very unusual for Tony. Maybe he's sick? Maybe he's ... 

Having a flash image cross his mind of the pool scene the from day before Jim stops as he goes through the house and asks Jarvis. very, very specially phrased. "So wait Jarvis. Tony is here? Like on site? Or outside? Where exactly is he?" 

Jarvis replies, "Master bath, shower." 

Rhodie has got one foot on the first step to go up the stairs to the floor with guest rooms and the master bedroom, bath when he thinks to ask to avoid a surprise like yesterday. "Wait, Jarvis you're telling me he's in the shower? What at ten, is he sick?" 

Jim is thinking how Tony never sleeps late. Must be that he's sick. Then Jim freezes. The pool thing it is still weird to thinks he saw what he saw. Maybe the, the, the ...Tony's toy is in the shower too. "Wait, Jarvis, is Tony alone in the shower?" 

Jarvis answers. Tony is not sick. He is also alone in the shower. 

So when Rhodie opens the master bedroom door he's not expecting anything shocking. 

Surprise! 

Across the room is the massive bed. It's a mess. Over it is something unbelievable. Something new. At least on the occasion over a year ago when Jim came upstairs with Tony to this bedroom to borrow some of Tony’s clothes after a big run they took together left them both drenched in seat Jim did not see the thing he is struck by. 

Where a large abstract art piece used to hang is a new series of art pieces. Three of them. A collection. A very different style than the Basquait that used to be over the bed. This set of works is? 

Completely homoerotic. 

Maybe the surprise of that is so great that would be why Rhodie is staring at the art and compelled to walk in to the room to get a closer look while slowly realizing what he saw poolside yesterday is maybe not an anomaly. He gets within a six feet of the bed before he realizes the bed is still occupied. 

Protruding out from under the covers, resting on a pillow is a hand. The covers are pulled high so only the one hand and some hair stick out from under the blankets. This makes a Jim stop shock cold in his tracks because he realizes someone is still asleep in Tony's bed. With closer inspection Jim can see a person's form laying there, sort of lying on their side. Sort of splayed out. Totally concealed under feather down covers except the hand and some hair. 

The hair is not Tony's short, nearly black hair. The hair is longer, messier, hints of chestnut color. The hand is not Tony's either. It's smaller, delicate. 

This is when Jim hears sounds from in the bathroom. Water was running. It stops. Shower door opens. Some cabinets open and close. Before Jim can do more than to receded to a place back against a far wall and some obscuring wardrobes to hide him Tony comes out. He walks from the bath to the bed. 

Jim has seen Tony naked many times before. Workout after, showers. 

But this...this is different. Tony is sporting a full hardon. He walks to the bed ruffling his wet hair with a towel and doesn't look sick. Not in the slightest. He looks, vigorous. 

Standing by the bed Tony pulls down the covers with a needy assertiveness. 

Under the blankets is the body that goes with the hand. 

It's boy-form. It's bronzed. It's thin and curvy too. It's splayed in an intriguing sort of way. One leg bent off to the side. The body somewhat twisted. 

Tony literally climbs down over the sleeping boy and pushes the bent leg more up and away. He says one word, a name, "Louis?" 

Then no further preparation Tony Stark comes laying on his bed, postioning between a sleeping boy's spread legs. He buries his face into the boy's ass and begins a noisy, lavish sounding exploration. 

With Jim unintentionally watching Tony is obliviously into sex with another male. From the sounds of it he's loving every minute of what he is doing. Over the bed upon which this is happening are the homo-erotic images. They face out at Jim, not realistic images, but like some obscure, fringe art. As familiar face appears in all three pieces the reality of this hit Jim Rhodes like a bullet. The subject in all panels is missing pop star Louis Tomlinson. 

As things warm up in the bed, Tony's slurping and moaning like his eating of ass is the best thing ever. To confirm this he pauses when it seems his partner is waking. What Tony says is like the marriage of his words to the pictures overhead. 

Tony says "Louis, God you taste so fucking good."


	29. Chapter 29

The boy becomes more animated as Tony makes his sloppy sounds of licking and slurping more intense. The way his head is moving in seems like he's bobbing like maybe he's tongue-fucking the boy. As Tony does this Louis wiggles and squirms he identifies his needs. 

"Fingers, please, give me your fingers, wanna have your cock in me,"

Tony stops what he's doing. In a somewhat scolding manner he speaks. "You know not until you are healed, little one. These new lashes are so sore still, hum?"

A light touch of Tony's hand near an area Rhodie can just make out as having some blacken marks renders a "ouch" from the boy. 

Lashes? Tony said "lashes". Jim is disturbed.

On the wall over them is a fantasy image of the same boy. It the image he's bound, hands behind him, on his heals and knees, rope crossing his form taking paths that include a wrap around his erect cock. Is this what Tony’s been doing that has him so preoccupied he fails to reply?

Tony begins kissing skin near where he elicited the pained response. He kisses, he licks, he moves away to the other side which Rhodie can't see but it must be less bruised because it sounds like he sucks in his own mark which makes Louis yelp and trail off with "yessss. Mark me."

The comment about marking garners another reply from Tony. "When my marks alone are present on you, all of theirs gone, these rope burns healed, then Louis. Maybe."

Louis whines and he shuffles in bed. This makes Tony grab one arm and pull it under Louis' chest. He gets the other hand of Louis' pulled near the chest-compressed one and he grips them both making Louis confined by his hold. Tony’s free hand grabs a cheek and pulls it open and he begins more of his noisy business eating the boy out. 

The boy lifts his bum and arches his back to accommodate Tony to the extent he can move. He's taking this. He seems to want it. The disturbing thing is that the brief conversation sounded like someone else was having this with Louis too. Reference to "their" marks in addition to Tony's “lashes” makes Rhodie feel nauseated with the twisted nature of this. Has Tony been holding this famous person captive and pimping him for men's pleasures? Even the way Tony is pinning him is borderline from Rhodie's point of view. 

Tony breaks Rhodie's uncomfortable train of thought.

"Your hard now, hum Louis. Wanna come?"

Louis shakes his head eagerly.

Releasing Louis Tony grabs a bottle of something, lube maybe. He pours it so it drips along the boy's ass finding recesses. Then Tony who is kneeling grabs both the boy's hips and hikes them between his hands stabilizing as he rubs his impressive erection between the slicked cheeks a couple times to coat his dick.

Rhodie is fearing Tony is going to push his massive dick into the boy who has had no more than a tongue at best prepping him. Jim isn’t into this kind of sex, but he knows that can’t be good for the submissive one. 

The boy breathlessly says, "Please,"

With Tony's back is looking like he's in a state of peak arousal, skin reddening, sweat glistening signally a need for release, he aborts what looked like the inevitable. Instead of pushing into the pretty boy prone before him, he flips the boy to his back. Well mostly. Leg on one side stops the flip from being completed so it keeps Louis’ body in a twist. Louis' dick is hard too and as soon as he's repositioned his hands reach for Tony who drops to take Louis' dick in slicked hand with an immediate commencement of stroking the boy's shaft. Once Tony has made a few such strokes he licks the length of the boy's dick trailing his tongue on the underside along the vein. Louis places both hands on Tony's head. He tries to grip hair but it's so short. He murmurs another breathless plead.

"More pleeeease,"

This has Tony taking his other slicked hand to begin what appears to be using a finger to tease the boy's hole.

"Yes!" Louis gasps. He's squirming, Jim can see, squirming with a finger in him apparently.

Tony doesn't say anything because at that point it appears he's concentrating on working the finger into the boy. He's mouth has taken the boy’s cock assisted by the other hand and he's bobbing on the boy's dick. The concert of finger-fucking and sucking cock takes a few minutes but the boy comes with loud, repeating slurry of words. Somewhere in there he's heard to say something about wanting Tony's cock. Or maybe cum? 

Once the boy drops from peak of orgasm Tony is quick to release contact, upright himself a little, take his own cock in hand and wank himself until ropes of cum are what lash the boy's glistening skin. Louis' hands appear to want to find the ejaculating organ but it's like he's been blinded by the orgasm, he's clumsily searching for a few second before he finds Tony's dick. When his hand grips it Tony leans down hovering over him and the boy's other hand finds the side of Tony's face. They seem like lovers though every bit of this unfornate over-share has Rhodie spinning. Why does Tony have a missing person, celebrity, in his bed? Fucking him like this? 

The two kiss and Tony is whispering something in the boy's ear. He kisses neck, shoulders goes to lips. After the loving closing to the thing they just did Tony gets off the bed, heads to the bathroom.

He returns with wash cloths. Wet and dry. He wipes away the ejaculate and talks of breakfast. He ends foreshadowing the day which gives Rhodie extra incentive to want to make sure he returns fully announced for a change. No more surprise visits. 

"...so that should do you until mid-day." 

"Do you until mid-day?" Rhodie thinks. Apparently yesterday's pool-side, mid-day sex was not a one-time, mid-day event. What's more is the apparent transformation of Tony Stark from arrogant womanizing heterosexual to full-in, ass-eating homosexual dom who dotes on his boy.

Tony dresses and talks on as his lover lays there apparently taking his time to rise. Maybe he's got the jello-leg feeling after something of an impressive sounding orgasm from Jim’s point of view. 

"Is it pretty outside? Can we go to the beach?" Louis asks.

Wait? Why is asking about the weather? The massive floor to ceiling windows in the master bedroom have only shear curtains over them. It's obvious the sun is shining and it's a relatively haze-free sky. 

"It's gorgeous. And yes, those marks from the ropes near you're pretty junk look healed enough. We should do that if you want. I made a new drone for specifically for taking with us that can scan the water this time. We don't want any mishaps."

This has Louis stirring. He gets up from the bed and in his naked glory, unobstructed by Tony's body, it's easy to see what Tony referred to. Here and there in his insanely curvy body are some signs of abuse. They are the only things covering him, well accept for on his wrists and ankles are some shiny, delicate pretty little strands of something like gold that set off nicely how gorgeous his honey-color skin is except for the scattering bruises. Are these marks all from Tony? Or is he sharing his secret with a group of invited friends? Tony did say "their"? Someone else is having sex with the mysteriously vanished Louis Tomlinson too? 

Rhodie has to get his head around this. He's relieved the two are about to leave the bedroom so he can finally slink out. This is when his watch, a control accessory for his Warmachine suit, similar to Tony's, along with Tony's watch, bleep an alert. Each mans watch is detecting the same thing. 

Instantly two things happen. Tony checks his watch and silences it, as does Rhodie, the boy nervously asks what are the alarms, and Tony looks to where Rhodie is hiding having immediate knowledge of what that is alarm tone, a second alarm, is coming from. For the first time he realizes the uninvited presence of Jim.

"It's nothing Louis, just my system detecting something, maybe a wayward drone like the other day, again, but no worries," Tony says as he puts an arm around Louis turning him like facing his penis away is covering the exposure already revealed. The entire time Tony is looking directly at Jim glaring, "...not even serious enough to trigger anything other than a few alarms. Into the shower with you."

Louis is being directed bodily by Tony to the bathroom with Tony continuing to shield view of the boy's naked body by walking behind Louis trying to block Jim's view of the pretty bum. Tony is not looking not where they are going. He's maintaining a relentless, cold, angry stare at Jim. 

Once Louis passes through the door out of sight Tony calls after him.

"So Louis, I'll be going down to make breakfasts. See you downstairs when your dressed."

He turns to address Jim once the sound of the shower starts. 

Jim steps out from hiding and they speak in unison.

"You've got some explaining to do!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very sorry if this is short chapters compared to my other works. I'm actually trying to not make another huge complex plot for a change. Writing gets slipped in here and there and sometimes I'm working too much. I try to get off quicker updates by breaking the chapters where transitions come. Ultimate this is a dark little beast that I want to get out of my head and move on to finishing Something About That Silken Mane. Thank you for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

Both men were in each other's faces instantly after the water of the shower mutes their voices.

Words exchanged were lost by the heat of their confrontation. When they fell out of sink enough for Rhodie to speak loudest he took no guff from Tony's anger over his invasion of privacy and countered, "No I'm pretty sure you have the biggest challenge in explaining about all of this!" His hands make a sweeping gesture at the bed and wall of art above it.

Getting words out without Tony aurgueing over them Jim continues, "...sure Tony, no one wants their intimate moments violated so I owe you an apology for the intrusion, but looking at this, all of this, this homoerotic art over your bed, that you are having sex with someone who, as I recall, is a missing person, given that the person looks like he's been perhaps a prisoner, bound exactly like portrayed in one of your pictures on the wall over your bed, begs for some explanation. You talked about the injuries on him as you did what you were doing, you talked about letting other people do things, it's all a bit unreasonable to expect me to be the one needing my actions explained. I came here because I was concerned about you. What could possibly be keeping Tony Stark so quiet and secretive? I guess I now know. You've abuducted a pop star? You and 'they' are using him, branding him, passing him around or something? How do you even live with yourself displaying I'm like a thing over that bed of yours? Is it just another way to demoralize him?"

Jim lets the words sting. Tony doesn't look retractant.

"You're right that the art on the walls is suggestive," 

Rhodie starts to interrupt but Tony cuts him off, continues and pulls Jim roughly to make them leave the room together before they continue like he fears the shower will end soon.

"None of the worst of what you're thinking is valid, but we need to do this downstairs."

At the main floor of the house Tony starts to explain what seems hopelessly indefensible. 

"First, I'm not passing him around. I would never, never pass him around. You heard me say something about 'them' that's because he's only been with me for about a week. I didn't abduct him, this is a recent situation having him living here." 

Rhodie looks ready to interject, Tony cuts him off. 

"You have to hear me out. This sounds awful. And some parts of it are, but just wait. Let me try to explain. What you saw up there on the wall is not demoralizing to him. He hasn't seen the pictures, if that what you mean. I mean, he can't see them. Or anything. Not even daylight. He's blind. He's also clueless as to who he is. Not a single memory of his past. So am I demoralizing him doing what I was doing? Not sure how to justify it, but if you heard him talking you know he wants it... wait that doesn't sound right, I know. Sounds like a badly written porn story. What I mean to say is that Louis is genuinely so happy to be here and away from them, the ones who abducted him. He's been adjusting to the exchange, he wants to please me. The two men who've had him all this time were only using him for sex, and yeah, I want that with him, but not until he really understands he has a choice about it. And furthermore, in case you didn't notice as you were acting like a perverted peeping Tom, I didn't do anything to him other tha make him feel really, really good." 

Jim is shaking his head. "Tony he's a missing person! A famous missing person. He has a family, friends. So someone had him they did something to him, obviously, and he was with them in an abusive situation for months yet somehow you found it right upon discovering this to bring him here, instead of back to his family...for, what? When did you decide you are gay? I mean I guess I know you've made jokes, hints, but to go from countless women to closeted at home keeping a secret, hostage-like boy toy is insane. What the hell are you doing? How did you even find him? Everyone has been looking for him." 

"I don't know how to answer the gay question. It's not even important. To be honest I think I never realized how I felt about that until he got into my head. It never occurred to me that I used women in a detached, disrespectful, emotionless way because I didn't feel passion about them. As far as Louis goes, I responded to him from the time the band came into stardom. He enchanted me from the first time I saw him. Naturally I kept that inside because I don't even like that kind of music. Somehow in following their rising fame, joining in to following fan blogs it led to consuming certain kinds of fandom content that is...explicit." 

"It started simple. Just a few blogs on Tumblr. Then it led to fan fiction, fan art, like what is on my wall upstairs. I never realized how much it's like falling into Alice's rabbit hole. I became consumed. With all things Louis. Then he went missing. It was a few months after that new Louis fan art started surfacing. They were labeled manips. They were so real, it fueled my obsession. Before I knew it the manips were more and more erotic. Then their were videos. And then an offer came out. Someone was selling Louis." 

Jim plops into a chair like the legs under him give out. "Are you telling me you bought Louis Tomlinson like art from Christy's." 

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. A little over a week ago, I bought Louis from two men who were using him, abusively having sex for their pleasure. They had aover thirty wealthy people all bidding for him. I won." 

"How much?" 

"How much did I pay. You don't want to know." 

"Yes, yes, actually I do. How much?" 

"Billions." 

The shock of this makes Jim blink a few times slowly like he's kinda not sure if that's a surprise. Billions might not mean much to Tony. Jim just shakes his head in more disbelief and says "Okay. Go on. You bought a person. From his abusive abductors. He has no memeory of who he is. He's blind. And you're having something like consensual sex only, wait, if he knew who and what he is he might have different desires. I mean I always thought he and the curly one, Harry, were lovers. Sure was obvious they were at least intentionally flirty with each other."

Tony ignores the Harry comment. He knows looking at pictures of Harry since the disappearance how deeply Harry's face shows a lover's pain. It's another thing weighing on Tony like all the other valid points Jim makes. 

"Jim, please give me time. I know your right. I just need some time with him. He was so battered when he came here. He has no idea how wonderful he is. They had him thinking he was a whore, selling himself on the streets since he was a child until they took him in, like they were doing him some favor."

The unthinkable happens. Jim can see tears welling in Tony Stark's eyes. 

Tears. 

In Tony's eyes. 

This isn't anything of the arrogant, elitist prick that Tony is known to be. 

Can his feelings for this pop star be this impactful? Could Tony be in love? 

"Okay, Tony. How long? How long do you need to prepare to bring Louis back to his home?" 

Tony face gets twisted. He looks around the room. Jim knows, hopes it’s a confused look for struggling to come up with an answer. It's a question that needs to be asked. 

Before they can go further the sound of feet on the steps coming from upstairs make them freeze. Tony directs Jim to an out of the way chair, signaling "quiet", no alerting Louis as Tony goes to the stairs and meets Louis taking his hand. 

Jim watches as Louis comes into view and he can see how it's true Louis isn't a person with vision. Louis is dressed in swim shorts and a sweater. The sweater is big. It makes Louis look small. They make their way through the room toward the kitchen. 

Stopping there Tony turns to Louis, takes both of Louis' hands and he kisses them. After the kisses Tony looks to stare Jim down to try to impress upon Jim that he is to maintain absolute silence. Tony speaks to Louis. 

"These are really becoming a part of you, aren't they?"

The question Tony asks Louis is about the thin, glimmering bands which adorne Louis' wrists and ankles. Tony has begun rolling one that is on Louis' left wrist in between the tips if two of his fingers clueing Jim into these are what they are taking about. The precious metal that in their core is platinum, is faceted to assist articulating the obstacles it attenuates to receive with sensors set in gold and redirect sort of like a sonar through Louis' earpiece. 

Jim studies their body language. Louis deliberately stands close to Tony and is not defensive in any way. Tony releases the bracelet he was touching, Louis replies in voice somewhat softly, a hint of intimacy. Certainly if Louis was an unwilling hostage he'd have a very different posture and tone.

"I love having them. They make me feel safe. You make me feel safe." With that Louis slides his arms around Tony. Clearly Louis is not forced to make this gesture. "The guitar, the radio, make me happy. Oh, but I dunked the radio in the pool. It's broken now." 

Tony cups Louis' chin to turn his face up. He brushes over Louis' mouth with a thumb. "It's okay Louis. That radio is far better made than most radios. I'll get it back to working. Probably the only component that I have to replace is the speakers. I'll work on that first thing so you can use it soon." 

Louis smiles. He chooses to pull himself tight into Tony laying his head on Tony's chest as they stand together with Louis' arms threaded under Tony's and around Tony's waist. "Thank you. And can we go back to the beach today please? I've missed wave surfing." 

"Yes, later, when the tide will be good. And this time I'll make sure to be on the lookout for and dangerous fishing line and debris so we don't get you caught up in any snags again." 

Okay now Jim figures out that the rope burns are not from what he first assumed. It was a great relief to learn something that happened accidentally made the ugly marks. This combined with Louis' affectionate behavior toward Tony improves the view that Tony's actions might not be hopelessly inexcusable. Maybe just a tiny bit.

Jim stays quiet through Tony making them a brunch, given the late morning hour, and taking their meal to the patio outside. Who new Tony was such a good cook? Once they are having a meal Jim leaves the main residential space and goes to Tony's work studio. He notices one of the things laying on a bench like Tony was working on it is the new component meant to replace the existing one in the Warmachine suit. 

So many questions still remain. Not the least of which is whether Tony has been paying attention to the alerts coming in basically all being about the pesky, miscrenent Jared. Just this morning the alarms which sounded giving away Jim's presence was triggered by what Tony's system analyzed as probably another attempt by Jared to break in to Tony's system. These attempts had been coming with some frequency, demanding Tony's attention to confirm. Tony would be the one who could analyze the drones sent to places like the Pentagon and Tony's own LA residence and determine their origin. And yet here is Tony Stark in some kind of La La land. His obsession, everything Louis. Ignoring threats. Ignoring his vital role for world defense. Instead Tony is making devices, pretty little devices, for his Louis to navigate the home since Louis is blind. Tony is choosing to focus on making a special radio for Louis for whatever the rationale of that is. Meanwhile he ignores Jared. 

When Tony eventually makes it down to his work after his leisurely brunch he finds Jim is there waiting eager to address the "guest situation" anew.

"Tony," Jim says sounding exasperated, "you can't keep that boy here like this! He has to go home!" 

Tony responds with a mixed look on his face suggesting his internal dilemma. He visibly suffers from what is massive adoration much beyond pure sexual desire. 

He can't. 

"I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Can't do that, at least not yet..." 

Some part of Jim would like to understand Tony. It's just that keeping a person, even because the believe a narrative, is very, very bad. Illegal. Cruel. 

"What do you mean you can't? You have to! Tony, Ironman or not you're not so special that you can keep a person because you're obsessed even they are happy enough being with you simply because they don't know anything about their past! It's a lie! It's manipulation! It's kidnapping. And given how young he is it's quite literally kidnapping! You have to take him home. You have to. Do it tomorrow."

"I'm not going to do that. Not tomorrow. No. And he's not a boy, he's an adult. Besides...He won't be safe going back to his life as it was. He needs to be here, at least for a little while." 

Tony hadn't thought about it but what would happen if Louis showed up at work one day until pressed by Jim's abrupt interruption of his fanasty world. What would Simon do if Louis walked into HQ 1D? What would Louis do if he walked in and saw one of only a few people he has know since his memory wipe? And it’s the man who used him? 

"I don't understand. Are you saying someone inside his team is responsible for what happened?" 

Tony hopes this makes Jim reconsider his insistence about doing the right thing. 

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. He was with Simon Cowell. Simon and a secret partner of his. Here in LA. All this time. Together Simon and Paul, he's secret boyfriend were using Louis to spice up their sex life. That is until Louis got to be too much for them. As I understand it. I think also he maybe threw them for a loop when he became musical. Or something like that. Something about a radio, Louis said. You need to understand how strongly I'm worried for his safety, and for that reason I'll give you an image that will make you understand this I'm doing a little better." 

Tony shouldn't do it but he does have a few copies of some of the images sent in the period leading up to the auction. He knows which one to show Jim. Maximum impact. 

Jim gets an eye full. Louis, spread open. Two men in him. He's pinned between them. He's so small and he has to be full with them. He's sweaty, he's bruised, it's disgusting. It's clear the two men are of a certain age, body type, a Simon Cowell like person could be one of the men. Their faces aren't visible. Just that they are standing, holding him, using him, both filling him.The image makes Jim have a sense of his stomach contents hitting the back of his throat. Tony can tell the disturbing effect the image has on Jim. He remembers how that image affected him. Instant nausea. 

"You see Jim, Simon isn't going to want this to get out. This is what Louis came from. He's safe here. He's healing, he's happy. More so every day. Is he home, no. Just give me time. I'll do something to sort this out." 

Jim wonders why not just take evidence to the police but he's gotten a bit more information than he wanted so he leaves it at compassion for the prospect that Tony will do the right thing.

"Okay Tony. But do it soon. He's not a puppy saved from the shelter. He's a person. A much loved, famous person. Have you thought about what everyday he's missing is doing to the people who love him? I'm glad you're figuring out your sexuality but he's not yours to play with. He belongs somewhere else. With someone else. Probably that Harry kid. The one who makes googly eyes at him."

Tony shrugs. Jim can't tell how the reference to Harry is a massive thorn in Tony's side. Tony takes the radio he's brought down to repair and begins disassembling it. He nods at the Warmachine component on his work bench and says to Jim, "That's what you're here for. You know how to switch it out, right?" 

Jim understands their is a cool air between them. He picks up the small card-like piece and makes another important point deciding to leave the Louis-thing for a minute. 

"You're not giving any of us any feedback on the person behind the activities of what we think is Jared again. What's up?" 

Tony goes right into his typical Tony Stark arrogance. He doesn't admit he's been off his game. He simply dismisses Jared as a threat. 

"Jim, I would know if Jared was any kind of a threat. To Shield, globally, you name it. I would know. From the moment Jared went from MIT genius to self promoting ass I knew I needed to follow him. Your suit, as you know from earlier today, has the ability to alert you. The watch that controls your suit alarmed you. Just like shield gets alarms, the Pentagon gets alarms, other US 'friends' get alarms. Fuck, Jim, no one is getting past my alert system. Least of all some 'Tony Stark Wanna Be who thinks his tech can beat mine. It can't. He can’t. He won't. I win. I’ll always win. The world spins on. Got it?" 

Maybe it's that Jim is still absorbing all the other stuff. Maybe it’s something more. Like a psychic depth of knowing what is a possibility. Jim feels ill ease. 

He doesn't respond to that. He's tired. He caves. Though he knows he's right and Tony is wrong. Jim caves. 

"Okay. Got it." Turning away from Tony he picks up the new control board for his suit. They have brief chat about it. Jim leaves. Not before he makes an ultimatum. 

"I need to say I get that there was some seriously wrong, abusive shit you came upon. That doesn't make this, this thing you're doing right. You have to get him to his home. You can ignore me, whatever. Take a couple days. But after that, I'm gonna be back. You either have him going home or I break this open." 

*** 

Later at the beach Tony is ignoring the nagging in his head of the exchange between he and Rhodie. He's just glad Louis has wave surfed so much that he is now choosing to lay on the beach exhausted and happy feeling the sun on his skin. 

For whatever reason Louis came out of the surf and upon laying on the sand beside Tony he immediately stripped off his swim shorts and allowed himself to dry in the ebbing sun bare naked. Maybe the wet shorts made Louis cold. Maybe it was a sign he was simply done going into the waves. The point is this. In Tony’s eyes Louis looks the most beautiful he has been. The marks of Simon and Paul that remain are fewer. The snag abrasions are prominent though they are healing fast. Louis looks somehow uplifted. Like his experience with the guitar, the radio, the realization he was not just a whore to Tony makes him lighter. Finally, actually moving Louis is closer to what he really is. If only Louis knew. 

He is much, much more. 

*** 

Hours later Louis was welcomed back from the beach with a shower followed by Tony slowly, lovingly kissing his body all over. Sucking his cock, making him writhe, swallowing his cum and then bathing him again just for the possibility of languishing in a tub together each having a small bit of wine and feeling relaxed. Tony didn't care about anything else. Upon reflection watching Louis so happy at the beach, their moments together after, Tony is fully convinced this is right. Louis is safe with him. Happy. Nothing could change this. Or threaten it. 

Later still they have had dinner. It's very late for dinner. They are seated in the living room. A cold breeze has come up so Tony has a fire in the fireplace; he knows how Louis loves the feel of the flame though he can't see it's ambiance. 

Louis is trying to figure out the guitar after dinner while Tony cleans the dishes. At dinner discussion the difficulty of guitar verses piano came up. Apparently Louis tried to have Jarvis help him but having Jarvis describe guitar chords was hard for Louis to make sense of. So he went back to piano. But now, sitting on the couch close together a new approach unfolds. 

" Louis. I know nothing of playing music, but I can see. How about you let me help." Tony suggests. 

"I don't understand? What do you mean?" 

Tony takes Louis' hand that he can easily reach because Louis is choosing to sit very close by him. Tony makes Louis' fingers into the place then need to be on the neck of the guitar. Before him, Tony has an image he asked Jarvis to project of the chord that he’s using to arrange Louis’ fingers. It’s a chord that is of the easiest for beginning players to learn. Making a Louis' fingers such Tony tells Louis to strum the stings. Louis does this and it's melodious. Together they do this a number of times with different chords. Each succession of adding a chord to learn makes Louis more sunny. Lighter. 

Soon Louis quickens putting the chords together on his own. He gains confidence, does them quicker still. He isn't aware how Tony has retracted himself, sitting back watching and is pleased with the transformation. 

It happens. 

Louis slips. 

He sings three words. 

It's not much. Just a few. But when they pass his lips he freezes. He goes pale. He arrests his movements. His next words are spoken with hesitation. 

"I'm sorry." 

Tony sits up right. He catches that Louis is fearful and he, this time, doesn't break into his need to touch Louis. Tony remembers that mistake of touching Louis when he thinks he’s made a mistake made Louis, overreact in fear, fall into the pool. Instead Tony asks in a calm voice. 

""Sorry? Sorry for what?" 

Louis rocks forward and back a few times. He still looks scared. He's straining like he expects the worst. To be hit maybe. 

"For, the radio, because the radio has these songs...they got in my head. After the radio, when Simon nearly drowned me I was singing one day. I don't know why. I don't know they came out where I was..." 

Tony can see it unfold. Louis' body rocking, shaking says it all. 

"That's when things changed. Simon came on me like in some rage. He kept hitting me. Telling me I was not to sing, ever. My voice was, he said it was awful. I was only pretty and not someone who should ever speak or sing. He was choking me when he screamed that. I remember hearing Paul tell him to stop or he'd kill me, again. Paul said 'again'. Simon stopped beating me. I remember feeling something hot. Like maybe my, I think I was bleeding. Think I passed out. When I woke that was when I was first tied by them. They were fucking me. Simon kept hitting me. He said never sing." 

Louis is shaking. His final narration has him reliving the experience too much. 

Tony pulls the guitar from him and brings Louis to him. "You should always sing. You're voice is lovely. As are you. Let me carry you upstairs and make you feel this, how it is so, so very true. He is a monster. You are the sun." 

Tony pulls Louis to stand. It's like the story of what happened is making Louis too close to the horrendous memory. Louis seems exhausted. Tony takes him by the waist and brings Louis along with him as they go up the stairs together. 

Tony will put aside tonight how close it seems to his standard, bruise free of Simon and Paul, for Louis to consent. Tonight though, it’s too soon, there is no consenting. There is only Tony taking care of Louis, making him feel good. Safe. Beautiful. 

Loved.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter. It’s a tease. Don’t hate it. Did I mention I’m a Larry? 
> 
> Oh, and disclaimer: I am a Larry who really sucks at sci-fi. And I’m terribly, deep-in, incurably-Larry kind of Larry.
> 
>  
> 
> ***

Once Louis was asleep Tony left the bedroom. He is overwrought after the argument with his trusted friend. He finds its himself who can’t sleep at the right time for a change. He has images of Louis’ family, friends. Loved ones. 

It’s not hard for Tony once he goes to his work studio to find something he needs to know. Where in LA is the residence of Harry Styles. Once he finds the home he sets a drone to go there. It annoys him he’s stooping to this level. Spying. 

He sends the drone. It’s mission, film Styles if he’s home. Spy. If not. Enter. Retrieve an item of personal clothing from the laundry. That task requires Tony to watch the drone moving inside through the drone’s relayed images. 

The mansion Harry is using in LA is one that has been on the market and off again as some elaborate rouse to obscure Harry’s residence from fans and photographers who like to stake out his home out. Often times it seems, more since Louis went missing, that Harry stays at friends. 

Sending the drone inside Tony checks out the home. The drone is the size of a large shoe box, more or less. It navigates around and Tony directs it to a laundry room. Sure enough there at the basket beside the washing machine are some worn clothes. Tony has the beetle shaped drone pull out items. When a pullover hoodie is found, he commands the drone to engulf that item. Once the hoodie is stowed inside the drone’s cavity it begins the journey home. 

Tony receives the drone in his workspace. Removing the hoodie he smells it. It has a scent that is a mix of Vanilla and something woodsie. 

Doe he dare?

Longs hours of reading, pouring over memory loss research Tony learned that the strongest memories are ones connected through experiences with an olfactory component. The smell of baking pie, the small of a perfume. A love-one’s scent. 

Tony returns to the bedroom and he places the stolen hoody among clothes he’s bought for Louis. Going to bed he can’t resist taking his body to Louis’ and wrapping his treasure in his arms. He breathes in the scent of Louis’ skin. It’s intoxicationg. He wants this to be his but it must be by choice.

***

Jared walks into his lab. It’s been a down week for his drones. He has had two picked off by Tony’s system at his home in LA and countless others taken out by his attempts at other installations. 

This isn’t discouraging him. It’s what he wants. He’s lost them deliberately to hone a frequency. Once he gets it dialed he can penetrate Stark. Stark’s defenses that is. Then he can invade Stark’s system. He needs to steal a key component of how Stark makes his best tech, the way suits run on some energy uniquel Stark. Ironman. Waemachine suits both have this tech. Once Jared has the secret he can marry the Stark tech to his. He’ll be the most powerful. This has been his goal since he went from Tony’s favorite MIT grad to Tony’s quickest enemy after working at Stark’s research lab where he broke many rules, stole intellectual property and basically made everyone in his world fear his dark side.

Sitting in his lab mapping his plan Jared talks to himself. “Okay Tony. Soon. Very soon I’m going to take from you what you value most. Hoping you’re sleeping well tonight. You’re going to need all the rest you can get for your big day.” 

*** 

Louis wakes to the pleasure of it. The heat of Tony mouth sucking him off. Tony’s finger playing in a slick of lube so it glides over sensitive skin at his hole. 

“Put it in me, finger please” Louis drifts into wakeful and neediness. It’s feeling so good having Tony taking his cock like the start of so many mornings. 

“Come for me first.” Tony’s words were said over his tongue playing on the slit of Louis’ dick. “Come. Then I’ll eat you out and fuck you with my fingers until you come again on them. Maybe I’ll put two in you today because you look so good, so free of the others. Your nearly there Louis. Only a scarce few of their marks remain. Soon if you ask, I won’t refuse. Not today though babe. Today is another of just pleasuring you and no pain for you.” 

Tony ceases the handjob he was using to pump Louis’ dick as he spoke. He goes back to deep troating Louis. Louis unravels. 

*** 

Following promises fulfilled of Louis orgasming twice in the morning before breakfast Louis has a shower. Out of keeping with morning trend while the shower runs Tony hangs around in the upstairs rather than address work. He’s pretending to have all sorts of things to talk about. He’s just curious. There’s a stolen hoodie in the closet. It smells like what he believes is the scent of Harry. 

As Louis dries himself Tony mentions another cold front has made it a cool LA morning. Long sleeves in the morning, he suggests. 

When Louis goes to his section of the closet he pushes aside hanging things and he also touches the hoodie but goes to a shirt next to it. A long sleeve tee. It has a scoop neck and Tony would love to see Louis in it. And it’s almost sheer. Double down on wanting Louis in that. Tony says, ”Maybe warmer, warmer than that one.” 

Louis moves his hand. It lands on Harry’s Packers hoodie. Louis pulls it off the hanger and slips it on. In a split second of warring it he pulls the front neck line of it to his face, hold it to his nose and sniffs it. It’s an intentional, extended act. Letting go of the garment he says the thing that makes Tony’s damaged heart break. 

“This one smells really, really good. Homey.” 

Tony could be blown over by a puff of air. Did Louis just have a memory of what is home? Of Harry. 

Fuck.


	32. Chapter 32

Fuck. Did louis really just have a memory of home? Of Harry?

Tony sputters. Tony has read about this phenomenon in his research on damage like Louis has suffered since the day he brought Louis home just about ten days ago. This is after months of Louis living with he abusers. Living in a lie. No memory of himself. But Harry’s hoodie... 

The most powerful memories are connected to scent. Louis has just smelled “home” on Harry’s favorite unwashed Packers hoodie. He’s held it to his face and breathed it in like it is familiar, what he needs. 

Dropping his hands from the way he was pressing the shirt to his face Louis stands there before Tony swimming in Harry’s clothing. Tony can only image Louis wearing it when he and Harry were together. That such a thing was a ritual. Louis would wear Harry’s clothing on rough days for a private connection between them which no management could read or control. Like their tattoos. Some things are outside of contracts. 

“Is this okay?” Louis asks. 

This breaks Tony’s daze. 

“Yes, um...yes, but it’ll get hot soon. You’ll want to change.” 

Tony is probably more glad than he could ever be that Louis can’t see. Tony is sweating with the deception. He wants to rip the hoodie off of Louis and burn it. Louis said “homey”. 

Tony can’t take hearing that reaction from Louis, but he swallows his self-inflicted pain. Later he can wash the garmet. Send it back. Drain away the connection Louis doesn’t have a name for but Tony knows is there. Deep. Nameless. But real. Home. Louis’ Harry. 

“This smells so good.” Louis says. He’s sniffing it again. Pushing a knife deeper into Tony with the words. 

Tony literally rushes out of the closet calling Louis to follow, he rambles on how the hoodie came from a boutique that sells a lot of bath soaps, candles and such. Implying a deception. Louis seems to like the hoodie a little too much. Adding to the agony for a Tony is how the sleeves are falling over Louis’ hands so only fingertips are exposed. This makes Louis appear adorably vulnerable and precious looking. Harry must have loved seeing him like this. 

Tony goes down to the kitchen for making breakfast. He has so much to do but the reality is Tony can’t wait for the sun to bake and Louis to discard the sweatshirt hoodie. When he does Tony will burn it. At least he thinks that now. No. Maybe just wash it in acid. Or do the right thing send it home by drone. Or how about send it home like he should have done day one with Louis bringing it to Harry just like Jim correctly insisted. Whatever happens to the shirt Tony knows he won’t do anything like this again though. Somewhere in Louis’ lost memories are pieces of things Harry. 

Louis is not Tony’s to keep. 

*** 

During their breakfast Tony is the unusually quiet one. Louis is lively. He’s talking about playing the piano, or the guitar, wondering about the tide. He’s even touchy making contact with Tony which Tony is acutely aware of because he moves away when Louis comes into his space. It’s the guilt. Louis is not his. 

The crazy thing is. This is what Tony has craved. Louis looking free of the abuse and wanting to be with him. 

*** 

They had discussed tide times. Louis upstairs to change out of the fucking Packers hoodie into swim shorts for beach/ surf time when alarms sound. Tony gets a stream of notifications from multiple sources. China is preparing to engage the US because the US is engaging them. Except the US is not. The US is standing down. Before this can catagorically be proved as a strictly international misunderstanding there is something else, something acting to send US defenses to the Pentagon. something about this is not normal which is why the alarm for Ironman sounds. 

Tony runs upstairs. He finds Louis stripped of day clothes and slipping on in swim shorts shorts. Louis hasn’t heard the alarms because they came over Tony’s watch, not Tony’s home defenses. Tony’s home seems peaceful. This is good. Tony doesn’t want Louis to be afraid. It’s too soon for Louis to be left here alone but this is absolutely too serious and Tony needs to suit up. The sound of him leaving will be unavoidably loud. This will be the first time Louis will be alone. 

Tony runs into the room. There before him is Louis dressed in his swim shorts, his skin looking nearly flawless, he’s happy. Louis hears Tony and makes an easy move thanks to sensors he’s wearing to come to Tony slipping his arms around Tony’s waist. 

Looking up at Tony, though their eyes can’t meet, Louis makes this intimate by brushing the tip of his nose along the underside of Tony’s chin. He follows with kisses on Tony’s neck. Goosebumps rise on Tony’s skin and he can hardly breathe. 

“Louis,” Tony says being calm, taking Louis’ hands as he moves leading Louis and sits them down togtether on the bed. 

“I’m sorry. We have to delay the beach. Seems I have to go out for a bit. There’s a crisis.” 

This has Louis jumping up. He’s quick to start asking. “What? Go where? What crisis? Wha...” 

Tony jumps up too and hugs Louis into him while keeping his voice calm and soothing. 

“I’m sorry. This is not how it should be. I shouldn’t leave you alone at all for the first time before we’ve gone through this, but you know I have Jarvis here to look after you for a few hours. It’s just a few hours at most. Promise. You’re safe. Nothing can harm you here.” 

“Where are you going? Why? Can’t you go later? I dot understand. We haven’t been apart. Can I come too. Please. I’ll stay in the car, promise.” 

“How do I explain this? Louis I’m not driving. I’m, um, I have this tech...it’s, Louis I leave here for a crisis in an iron suit. An armed, iron suit. It sounds like a rocket when I leave.” 

Louis looks shocked. Grasping for comprehension. 

“I don’t understand. You leave in an iron suit. Isn’t that slow to walk in?” 

“I’m Ironman. Warmachine, also has an iron suit. Slight knock off of mine but same thing. Inside these suits we are indestructible and they go xtremely fast, like a rocket.” 

“So Warmachine can go to the crisis. You stay. Please, I don’t understand, stay.” Louis stumbles back. He looks more unstable and frightened. 

Fear and confusion are setting in on Louis. He starts playing with his hands. His feet take turns rubbing one over the other. It’s like when Tony first brought Louis home and Louis was waiting for his new master to start using him. Just like then Louis even looks to be on th verge of tears. 

“I’m sorry Louis. I have to go. The crisis is not just one place. Both Rhodie and I will need to go. But I will be right back as soon as I can. You’ll be safe. Promise.” 

Louis was pulling back on the Packers hoodie while still wearing his swim shorts when Tony goes down stairs to rocket away. As Tony looks up at Louis one last time before he leaves, he feels gutted. How could he leave Louis looking so frightened like that? Minutes before Louis had been so happy. Nuzzling into him. Kissing his neck. His arms around Tony’s waist. Now he looks vulnerable, small, pale with fright. 

*** 

Jared’s theft of tech was not the first clue Tony had about his instability, but the guy was brilliant, he had promise, so Stark didn’t get rid of him on his first offense when the MIT grad was a part of Stark’s team. What was particularly inteserting to Tony about Jared was how extremely creative his thinking was having started in biomed before switching to physics and engineering. He frequently used his organic and biology foundation in his designs at Stark. Yet something about Jared, who Tony first met as “Mason” wasn’t right in the head. He obsessed over wanting More and more acces to other team members projects. He had a spoiled side. Too much privilege. Tony could relate to this so he perhaps stayed the course with Jared for too long. He gave Jared too much license for the unexpected. 

Once Jared was terminated by Stark for stealing ideas a second time from co workers the trouble really began. 

*** 

Tony launches off choosing to head to China to deal with that end of the conflict. Tony is sure Jim Rhodes a military man can handle the US side as they coordinate to discover what is causing havoc on two continents around the globe from each other without valid provocation.

Louis is alone. He begins talking to Jarvis. He paces. He finds the guitar and tries to play. Switching to the piano he tires that. More and more he chews on the strings of the hoodie and goes back to pacing. 

When Louis has exhausted himself with stress of being alone in his dark world it’s actually dark, the normal bed time. This has been many more hours than Tony ever imagined they would be apart. Through all, of the hours Louis has been talking to Jarvis. However. 

Something became broken. Jarvis became to operate like he was diluted with static. More and more Louis couldn’t talk to him. Jarvis give comfort to Louis. 

Frightened, Louis goes upstairs. He lays on the bed. Pulling the neck of the hoodie to his face he breathes in. Home. Then he is asleep. 

*** 

It’s something about the the engineering. Physics based. What it is Tony can’t decipher. 

China thinks they have US threat. The US thinks they have a threat with China because they see Chinese military action on a massive scale. 

Neither country is actually engaged with the other because it’s all a rouse. Ironman arrives to China where the Chinese are fighting an offense that appears to be a mirage to Tony’s tech but the Chinese can’t see what he does in his scans. They think there is a US insertion. 

Meanwhile in the US they are also not detecting small drone invaders who trigger their defenses either because these drones are metals and something unexpected; that is they are keratin-based too. Accompanying these drone’s assaults are the use of frequency disturbances make the process arduous for Warmachine to detect the drones. 

Tony finds himself literally having to take small drones off of Chinese MIGs as they are in combat status. That is he has to catch a jet one at a time and detach a device. A small drone. Hhe’s unable to know if Warmachine is getting the analysis he’s sent that inables Rhodie to effiectively deal with the invasive drones or how anything is going for Warmachine in the US. Basically both men need to operate like the small fish swimming in an ocean (of military jets) removing barnacles from whales (the jets) all the while the pilots of these craft are firing at figments of their imagination. Sometimes they narrowly miss hitting their own, certainly none of the Chinese pilots are taking Ironman as a non threat at this time. One more reason situation is harrowing. 

Adding to the challenge, for some reason there is too much static. Static between Tony and Jim. Static between both of them and Jarvis. Most disheartening of all static between Jarvis and Tony means Tony has no idea what Louis is doing. Somehow Tony manages to get the message across to Warmachine, clear the US jets of small drones. They are anchoring to the haul of the craft, they create a mirage when they interface in the jet’s electronic system. 

*** 

Louis wakes hearing a scorching sound of a speed force outside. He’s sure it’s Tony returning. Groggy because of the stressful day and falling asleep uncertain and alone at who knows what time, he only knows it seemed eternity since Tony left in his iron suit. The sound of something coming in like the sound when Tony left, the absence of the defense system firing off to protect Stark’s home has Louis excited. Tony is back! 

A metallic form lands on the Stark terraced patio among the series of pools. No arms have fired. 

It’s a shiny, silver-toned form. Human structured, impressively sculpted to look like the most perfect male form. Soulless. It a word it’s a drone. A drone meant to be far more. Much of its core is empty. Had it’s creator been successful in the energy calculations the suit would be an Ironman suit. It’s hollow. If it opens. A person can step inside. Problem is that it can’t run with a person in it. So it’s just a drone. A copy of a drone in beetle form made by Stark years ago so it’s no closer to an Ironman suit than it is to a toaster when it comes to encasing a man but Jared’s tech does have a few advantages. 

All of Jared’s work was not second to his idol’s. Better than the Ironman suit the metallic form of Jared’s is lighter. Just as strong. Also unlike the Ironman suit it can mold to reshape, almost like it’s reconstructing fluidly. If it’s needs a third arm, the drone can reduced one arm, split it into two and stretch the two appendages out to make two from one, just sized differently. Total mass remains the same only the configuration changes. 

The thing that landed on the Stark edifice in human form walks with ease into the main floor of the Stark home. It still hasn’t triggered any defenses. 

Something about a frequency emitted by it. Nothing alarms. At the front door a man waits for his machine. His face is on all security profiles so the system should kick in that this is not some wandering sales person or a neighbor wanting to borrow a cup of sugar, but a recognized threat. 

From the pool terrace the metallic form walks in its slightly awkward style through the house and opens the front door. There stands Jared. 

“Darling!” Jared’s says to his drone being a bit cheeky and very much elated that he has made it this far. Entering Stark’s private residence, his creation keying him in, no conflict with Tony’s security and content knowing he’s created a mess sending Ironman and his sidekick into hours and hours of conflict one in DC, one in China. 

Jared is here because his nearly perfect creation only needs one thing. Something he’s fought many times to get from Tony but it remains out of his reach. 

Stepping into Stark’s home with the metallic drone holding the door open like a butler expecting a distinguished guest Jared laughs at his advance. Finally. Jared will take what is Tony’s most prized poseession. His secrets for the power source for Ironman. The thing that allows a man to ride inside a man-formed war suit. 

Jared is scanning the home having never been in Stark’s private residence. He only knows there is a work shop somewhere more tailored to Tony’s private work than anything like at Stark’s business site where he and other brilliant people worked on other projects, research and development. The in house shop should be impressive. 

As he looks around preparing to explore, Jared actually looks over the odd thing out at first. It takes a split second before he looks back to acknowledge the thing. 

Standing there in the dark brought down from upstairs by the noise of the metallic intruder is Louis. 

Louis is stopped in his tracks expecting Tony is his iron suit. He heard the sound of something metal walking in after he heard the thing flying in which brought him running, almost falling, down the stairs in anticipation. But now Louis hears a strange voice, a laugh, the word “Darling” said at the front door entry. He’s frozen in place. Who is this? 

“Tony?

Jared doesn’t even speak before his drone turns, scans, reports. It’s voice is not intirely organic in sound. Not like Jarvis’. 

“Unarmed.” The drone reports. 

Louis doesn’t wait. Louis spins around and runs. 

“Find him and secure him.” Jared says. He proceeds to walk around while his 6’9” drone follows Louis’ path that went straight upstairs. 

Once in the bedroom Louis doesn’t even know where to hide. He is calling Jarvis and Jarvis’ replies to him are like sounds of pops and scratches of an old style turntable playing a record whose end has been reached. So it is that the drone intercepts Louis who is incapable of anything but screaming as the drone wraps him in to itself, then grips both Louis’ wrists in one hand. It speaks to Louis in its odd voice. “Resist and feel pain.” 

The drone doesn’t have to say that. It clamped on Louis’ entire body and it felt like he was struck by a car. It put Louis’ two limbs in the grip of one hand with ease. Louis cringes like the metal hand is pressing so tight that his bones are feeling crushed. 

With Louis arrested he goes to his knees before the drone from the pain as he’s no longer all-body confined like when the machine first intercepted him. 

This is how Jared finds them when he makes his way upstairs after a leisurely survey of the main floor. Louis is on his knees. His two arms are extending up and he’s almost hanging there, gasping because of the pain of the vice-like grip of the metallic figure towering over him holding him like a marionette. 

“So what do we have here?” Jared says as he walks in smug and delighted in his successful insertion. He sees immediately this small, pretty young man is kneeling in pain from the single-handed restraint of the droid. Louis looks like he is struggling to breathe through the pain of this. 

”Jesus, loosen that hold. I said, secure him, not break him.” 

The drone allows some easing of the grip. Louis takes some audible breaths and he buries his face in one ample, hoodie sleeve like he’s afraid to acknowledge this reality. 

“So what do we have here? I was certain Mr. Stark was living alone. Who are we, hum?” 

Jared pulls Louis’ face from the sleeve. Again he laughs. 

“Oh I know you! What a bizarre, completely unexpected surprise! A guest of Mr. Stark’s are we? With so many wondering where you’ve been for so long? What ever do you belong here for?” 

Louis tries to jerk his head so the stranger isn’t holding his chin, but any move makes his wrists hurt in the still much to tight a restraint. He hears the questions. The stranger answers himself. 

Once he asked Jared glanced past the drone Louis and spies an answer in the the art over the master bed. Tony’s bed. He laughs again. It’s an unsettling, delirious kind of laugh; that laugh of someone making an unfathomably, bountiful discovery. 

“Oh, so I see, I see. Mr Stark has a secret toy. Isn’t that interesting! All those women, just a cover. Why are you letting him keep you here, hum? Fan of the powerful, are we? He is riduclously handsome by all measures. Speaking of measures, maybe your a fan of his dick. It’s rumored to be so pleasing among the women. So what is it? Couldn’t cut the lifestyle with the mainstream rich and famous, could we? Or do we just like that big Ironman dick?” 

Louis is shaking. He’s shaking his head “no”. He’s shaking in fear. He tries to answer. It comes out soft. 

“No. No. No. Don’t know what you are saying, he’s, just...” Louis drops his head again beginning hiding his face. 

“Look at me! Don’t turn away when I’m speak to you! Look at me!” 

Louis looks up but he doesn’t really look at Jared. The violation of the demand enrages Jared. He backhands Louis. Louis doesn’t even make a sound once the hit cracks against his face. He’s can’t because of the second source of pain is compounding the first. Louis goes limp, clearly putting too much strain on his wrists. Jared immediately tells his drone to release Louis which lets Louis fall back onto the floor. His face shows the force of the strike as a red mark appears immediately on his cheekbone marking it where Jared hit him. Louis is lying there staring up with eyes that have a stunned-like, dazed lack of focus. Tears are slipping from them as he whispers, “I don’t see, it’s only dark, black, dark. I don’t see you, blind.” 

Jared kneels over Louis. He moves his hand in a wave in in front of Louis’ face with a hand on chin again to make sure Louis isn’t hiding the truth. He makes another mock assault like he’s going to backhand Louis again. Louis doesn’t flinch. He just lies there’s with tears slowly rolling down though he seems to be trying not to let them do so. 

“So I see.” Jared says as he stands up. He looks at the art and he looks down at this stunned creature. He taps Louis in the side with a foot. “How long have you been here? A year?” 

Louis doesn’t react to the tap. He pulls one hand up to his face to wipe tears with a sleeve that is much too long and covers all but the tips of his fingers. “Dunno for sure, maybe a little more than a week. Not two, but maybe. He bought me from Simon. Brought me here. I don’t know how long I was there before he bought me, I can’t remember things like days, weeks, very well.” 

Again there’s the laugh from Jared again. It makes the dazed Louis begin to noticeably shudder. Tears flow more freely. 

“Oh this is priceless. You, Louis Tomlinson, are priceless. Mr Stark bought you from the fancier of fine boy’s when half the world would want to have you meanwhile the other half would have wanted to be you.” 

Louis doesn’t understand Jared’s reference is to Harry. Half the world wants to have sex with Louis. The other half wants to be having sex with Harry. 

Jared is pleased with his understanding of Stark’s dirty little secret. This discovery is icing on the cake. Speaking to his drone he decides to leave the battered surprise. 

“Okay fashion something to constrain him. Over there, on their bed. We’ll leave this one be and go get what we came here for. Maybe if I’m bored and have time I can learn more. Come join me in the workshop once he’s secured.” 

The drone produces a strip of metal letting some of his mass flow in a fluid like fashion off his form. The flow slowly solidifies, becomes chain-like in form, biting into Louis. Once it’s detached from the drone it solidified into a handcuff, chain-like thing which the drone uses to anchor Louis to the bed having no fight from him when it moves Louis for binding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, comments please?


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do comments please!

Finding a way into the secured system created by Tony Stark was not as easy as Jared thought. He was sure he’d found a way with his use of disruptive fluctuating frequencies to disable a great many things. After all that was part of was making his attack on the jets so effective. However, after hours of trying to get into the data base and encrypted files diverting around Jarvis who is compromised slightly by the invasive disruptions, Jared is no where near getting the information he needs. To obtain the energy functions Stark uses, one that compares to no other, Jared will do anything.

Frustrated, Jared begins to search through other things he can access because they are not so heavily security coded. What he finds are the things that Tony has been perusing lately, but not for sharing with his network of fellows. That which has held Stark’s interest shares a theme. Louis-focused material.

It doesn’t take long once Jared finds a Tony has spent a lot of effort researching topics like brain injury, loss of memory, sightlessness, depression, eating disorders and sexual abuse. The latter fascinates Jared particularly when he breaks open a file of graphic fiction and gay porn. Images abound in a file marked “Little Things”. The content Tony cautiously shared with his trusted friend, Mark, proceeding his obtaining Louis is now in the hands of his enemy. Manips that are not. Images that bare it all. Louis as a sexual submissive. 

Jared considers the situation before him. He’s sent an army of drones to lead Tony and Warmachine away so he can infiltrate Stark’s tech secrets and all he can come up with to strike at Tony is some clues to a secret obsession. An obsession that is tied to a bed in the house above where Jared sits empty handed in his attempts to get the secrets he needs.

Telling his drone “Come with me.” Jared decides to try another approach. He thought he could never force Tony to give up the goods, at least that never happened even when he was a star colleague in Stark’s team and he created scenarios to try to tease out information. This is why he made his drone army, so he could steal what he needs. Having discovered the Louis obsession Jared wonders if he has a way to effectively force Tony to share.

Upstairs Jared finds Louis is asleep though in a pretty uncomfortable, awkward position like he was trying to relieve pressure from the chain-like binding. 

He doesn’t know Louis wakes reluctantly, certainly this is not evident by the way Louis reacts when Jared and his drone approach. 

Louis reacts by pulling himself into a tuck with hearing them. He begins to plead.

“Please, just let me go, please.”

Jared sits on the edge of the bed and puts a hand on Louis’ leg. “I’m going to release you. And I need you to do something for me, okay.”

Jared nods for the drone to take off the restraint. The drone only has to touch its creation and the hardness softens until it again has a flow-like method of reconstituting. From cuff detached from the drone it returns to the drone seamlessly molding into the metallic body of the drone.

Hands free they drop. Louis shifts but he isn’t using his hands which tells Jared they are numb with loss of circulation. This allows Jared to pick them up in his hands and begin rubbing them. In Louis’ face Jared sees the distrust and fear. He doesn’t speak while Jared masssges them and plays with the glimmery treadlike bracelets. 

“Okay.” Louis says with trepidation. 

“These are pretty, these things on your wrists and ankles. Are these something Mr Stark made for you? I see you have an earpiece too, his as well?” 

Hesitantly, Louis says. “Yes.” Jared can tell Louis wants to retract his hands so Jared grips them more firmly as he rubs them with full knowledge he doesn’t need to continue to aid circulation. 

“I see. He’s got some tech built in them then?” 

“Yes.” 

Jared likes the way he can see Louis getting more nervous as the contact extends beyond need for restoring circulation. He smiles. It feels good to be so powerful. It’s not Ironman power, but between him and Louis is something all-powerful. 

“You don’t give it up easy do you Louis, maybe Simon taught you that. I can guess, now that I’ve since some evidence of your role with him before he sold you off. Not surprising about Simon. The man clearly has a thing for boys. But back to these little bracelets, adorning so pretty on your pretty wrists, your pretty ankles. What do these do for you other than make you look so much like a claimed, pampered prize?” 

“They help me avoid things I can’t see.” Louis shuffles a little. If it were an attempt to incidentally pull his hands away the attempt is ineffective. Jared deliberately begins to turn Louis’ hands like he’s admiring them. He begins brushing them with his thumbs so the contact is less circulation treatment in nature and more of an intimate kind of thing. 

“You see Louis that just annoys me to no end. He’s made these for you using my advances from when I worked for him in developing better microscopic construction. He’s stolen my work from me for his personal use. This is exactly why I need you to do something for me. He took from me and I ask him for something in return and he denies me. It isn’t fair. You can help me get him to see that. You, Louis, will be my messenger. Okay?” 

With that Louis is trembling. “Please, let go of me. I’ll tell him anything. I’ll tell him you asked him to share, I will. Just let me go please.” 

“We must make sure he gets the message. Mr Stark needs to be forced to agree, you see. That’s why you’ll be the messenger. You must be special to him. You are you know. He must enjoy you,” Jared’s hands let go of Louis’ and he caresses the side of Louis’ face just below the red mark he put there earlier. 

Louis flinches. “I’ll tell him. I tell him what ever it is that you want.” Louis ignores the subject of the role he plays in Tony’s life. 

Jared shifts in closer to Louis keeping a hand on Louis’ face with the other hand slipping under the roomy hoodie finding its way up the shirt to brush over a nipple. 

“I can feel your heart beating so fast little one. Are you frightened? Excited? Does it excite you this much when he fucks you? I’m guessing it does, yes?” 

“Please, no. No. He’s doesn’t do that. I’m not here for that. He says I’m not here for that.” 

Jared laughs. It’s that crazy laugh. He feels how it sends a shiver through Louis’ body. 

“You’re not here for that? Oh what a laugh! So he has homage to your body being used on the wall right over this bed where you sit and you say you’re not here for that? He has countless picture of you, some real, some made up, of you being ravaged in every way possible, stories about other men being with you and you say you’re not here for that? You expect me to believe he’s not touched you? He’s not sunk his cock in that legendary ass of yours? Not parted those lips of yours with his suffocatingly huge dick? Really?” 

“No, he hasn’t. He says he won’t. He only wants me healed, to choose he says. He only wants to make me feel good, to like that...” 

Louis insistence looses steam. He looks confused. He doesn’t know Tony has an embarrassing amount of Explicit Louis in his home. 

Jared pulls away. He leaves Louis sitting there trembling a little more notiably, looking more frightened. His eyes getting redder like he feels the urge building of tears. Jared goes into the bathroom off of the master suite as he continues telling Louis of what he is certain are Tony’s intentions. 

“You see, Louis, think of I look around I’m going to find the answer. He isn’t hiding his obsession about your body like he is his private tech secrets. You may not be the secret I want him to share, but for now your the secret we can share. And after, you can be my messenger. I’m betting somewhere..., 

Jared comes from the bathroom having discovered a drawer that he carries which is full of things for sex. He brings it to the bed and sets it down. 

“Look at what I found. Oh wait, you can’t see. Shall I tell you what’s in here? This was in the bathroom and it’s full of things for playing with.” Jared is talking in the most chastising tone he can with his delight. 

“So let’s see, Louis. We have some lube, lots of lube actually, a nice selection of types. Some oils, fragranced, that’s nice. So romantic huh, and oh these feather things. There’s this, this is interesting, a rubber penis. Not sure why he needs one in addition to his, but maybe he likes the look of you like in some of the pictures he keeps of you with two men filling you. At least this toy penis isn’t as big as his. Oh, and look, it vibrates. Okay nice, and funny that Louis. No condoms. Guess we know he’s a bareback man. Oh but my personal favorite. This, here, touch it.” 

Jared offers Louis anal beads. It’s a long chain of anal beads. Their not small. They are ebony. The fit of them would be impossible for Louis but then perhaps the idea is to see them extend from him like an anal plug with a tail. 

Louis doesn’t concede to the command. 

Jared yells. “Dammit, I said touch it!” 

This jars Louis so he reaches out. Jared shoves the toy into Louis’ hands and Louis begins tearing. He shudders, “He-he-he only wants me to feel good...” 

Laughing, Jared’s abuse continues, “So you say, so you say. Are you also saying he’s used nothing from his collection of toys and lube on you? Nothing at all? He just keeps you among his collection of Louis art?”

“I don’t know what you’re saying, he does use a little bit maybe, a feather, some lube, he only touches me like he wants me to feel good. He isn’t fucking me...” 

Jared realizes Louis is too frightened. Jared sits again as close to Louis as he can and he takes the anal beads from Louis. Jared makes his voice soft. He begins to play with the anklet on one of Louis’ legs while he speaks coyly. “So he’s used the feather. Does he tickle you with it?” 

Louis nods yes. 

“Does he finger you? You said he uses the lube, does he use it to finger you?” 

Another nod yes comes from Louis. 

“And what else does he put in you? You said he touches you, is he using these toys, in you? Please tell me Louis. I’m fascinated how a man who has a lot of sex with women is managing with this change. What does he do when he makes you feel so good?” 

Louis hestitates. Jared abandons his admiringly, gentle touch of the anklet pressing a firm grip of Louis’ ankle to make his point. Answer. 

Louis hestates. He feels the pressure on his leg. He replies. “Tony likes to, um he, he eats me out, sucks me off, he wanks off to cum on me from his own hand. Maybe once, maybe, he used, I mean he just rubbed himself against, like between...” 

“Mr Stark! You’re saying he puts his dick sandwiched between your sweet cheeks does he? He likes to bury his face between them? He sucks you off, does he swallow?” 

Louis nods. He begins playing with the cord on one side of the hoodie and his hand is shaking. 

“Fascinating. I knew this girl once, well a woman. She worked for Mr Stark too. She was such an incrediable beauty. He had a few adventures with her. Tossed her aside, as quick as all the others. Months after she told me this story. We had lunch, she said how he wanted to be up in her ass. All kinds of ways. He said to her that he was “an ass man”. I have to admit. She has a nice, nice ass. Nothing like yours though. Your ass is legendary.” 

Something in Louis snaps a little. Maybe Jared doesn’t know what Louis had faced with similar comments from Simon. Louis directs his comment like he has a chance of impact. 

“How can you even say that? What does that even mean? I said I’d be your messenger. You’ve got the dirt you need to damage Tony’s image. Why don’t you leave me be? Give me your message and leave.” 

Jared snaps back at the mistaken pixie boldness from Louis. He grabs Louis by the neck and pulls him away from the headboard of the bed. 

Growling that “the messenger needs to make impact hard enough to injure Ironman not just embarrass him” Jared pulls Louis’ hoodie off in a sweeping, angry move. Louis tries to resist more disrobing. He takes ahold of the waistband of the swim shorts to trying to prevent further stripping. 

Jared strikes Louis again where a bruise already darkens. He gets Louis’ swim trunks removed in one sweep. 

Enraged, Jared barks, “Fight me you stupid boy, fight me, make me like to hurt you!” 

Louis tries to fight. He actually gets in a kick such that his knee clips the underside of Jared’s jaw. That’s when Jared freaks. He punches Louis with his strike landing on one side of Louis’ mouth. Louis’ own tooth cuts his lip. Next Jared punches Louis in the ribs four times. His agitation has his drone coming forward and shadowing them from where it stands. Jared tells the drone to stay, then rolls he Louis over with ease because Louis is crumbling from the hits. 

With Louis face down, Jared pulls out some lube, sqeezing a large amount on Louis’ ass which Jared slaps. Louis protests in a slur of “no’s” to which Jared replies with punches hitting Louis’ back at kidney level. Jared barks more. 

“Be a whore for Simon, be a whore for me, be a toy for Ironman, be a toy for me, is there ever anyone you’ve been with who doesn’t fuck you?” 

Going to Louis’ bum with one hand while the other presses down on Louis’ back he orders his droid to help, to “pin him”. 

Thus Louis is gripped again by the steel like limbs of the droid. Jared shoves a finger into Louis who yelps. 

Jared delights. “Oh my god, so tight! What a tiny thing you are, wow! I guess we now know why Mr Irondick wants to break you in himself first so he seems to be nice. This is so damn tight, this hole of yours, and hot.” 

Jared quickly pulls his finger out and parts cheeks with both his hands as his droid takes over pinning Louis making it so Jared has use of two hands. 

Looking at Louis’ tiny, tight hole Jared reports. “Oh Louis..this is so, so pretty, this little thing of yours. I see. Tony wants to fuck this? I’m sure he does! Even little me ain’t gonna go in there with you so tight like this. How about we play with some of his toys?” 

Jared gets the vibrator in hand, lubed and turns it on. He rubs it between Louis’ cheeks and presses it to Louis’ entrance. He taunts about Louis’ tiny hole being too small for the toy but he keeps it pressed, stimulating Louis’ rim. Rolling the vibrator and pressing it on the hole, Jared also scrunches and plays with one bum cheek or the other. He slaps the cheeks, describing his thoughts. 

“Gonna warm this hole of yours a little bit. Push some fingers into you, keeping from ripping you open. Wanna make some memories in photos so we can share this moment. Pretty sure Mr Stark will want them to add to his art collection. Hey, sweet cheeks, maybe we can make it to the wall of fame over the bed.” 

His droid makes some noises. The purpose of the noises is Jared’s alone to know. He only shares with Louis more of his intended sport. The sport of using Louis. 

“So fucking nice, this ass you have, wow. I mean it’s so full and round. You are nothing if not made for taking dick.” 

Jared has Louis pleading no. When Jared moves to try to push the vibrator into Louis, Louis protests in broken voice. Louis pleads that the vibrator is too big. He pleads insistently. Jared silences him by roughly shoving a finger in, in deep into Louis’ body. Louis chokes, tries to breathe. Take it. 

Fairly quickly Jared gets a second finger in, doing this with more repeated plunging action. Sometimes Jared stops for sake of keeping his fingers the most deeply inserted he can make them and just pauses the finger fucking to focus more on bum groping and ass slapping. When he can make a succesful test of pushing three fingers breaking through the tight ring of muscles Jared pulls out the vibrating penis again. He shoves it in unceremoniously. 

“No, no, no, no” Louis protests. 

He fucks Louis with this thing. After he’s content he’s made his impact he pulls the toy out. Jared parts cheeks with two hands and looks at the Louis. His tiny pink hole is red and open. Jared can fill it now without even needing to do more than let the hardon he has push in, probably hands free. 

“Time for you to climb on board, princess. Sit on my dick for a bit. Give me a look at that pretty face as I fuck you up.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is darker.
> 
> Forewarned. 
> 
> And trust me...it gets ...different. 
> 
> *******

Louis is picked up by the droid on Jared’s order. 

Jared takes a place on the bed stretched out with his dick standing erect, proud, in his excitement. The droid has his two metallic hands wrapping around each of Louis’ biceps. When Jared tells it to “put him here, riding me,” he’s referring to making Louis straddle his pelvis, Louis’ thighs taking either side as he’s sat down on Jared’s erection..

Knowing what is going to happen Louis is stammering a protest “no, no, no, no...” but he can do nothing more. The droid has such strength in the grip that it hurts like nothing Louis remembers experiencing. There's a vial, despicable man under where Louis is being sat and he’s as helpless as marionette once more. Jared’s hands guide positioning Louis’ legs. He squeezes Louis’ thighs as Louis is brought to him like an sacrificial offering, “These thighs are so strong and voluptuous, such contrast to your tiny waist, your little chest.”

Jared’s hands slip up to the waist as he says the word “waist”. The hands move to hips as he says “your hips” holding Louis there, “they way they curve, I need to bruise them under my fingers for Mr Stark to know he made this happen, he made sure you had to be shared with me. It’s either his tech, or it’s you. Which does he value more? He left you unprotected.” 

To make his point Jared bites his fingernails into the hips that he stabilizes Louis with as his droid gives him the puppet-like Louis. As Louis is brought just low enough for Jared to feel the heat of Louis’ body, the wet heat, of lube slicking a path for his dick to take. Louis pleads again.

“Please don’t, please...” Louis seems to be crying, or he’s straining too much to catch his breath maybe making it a struggle to speak. Again the droid might be too tightly holding Louis’ lithe form.

“Shh, shh, shh, messenger. Gonna be a beautiful messenger. Not going to need a word pass those pretty lips of yours for Mr Stark to know what he has to give me,” Jared tells Louis this, then he directs his droid “We are not breaking him are we? I need him conscious for Mr Stark, besides daddy’s never had a cock riding princess on his lap before. Never saw a boy this appealing, so perfect. Be gentle. Let him down slowly. When he’s full of me you can let me have most of his weight, just help me stabilize him once I’m in him.”

Jared said “pretty lips” which he thinks is so very true so they are what holds his attention for a minute because he looks at them with regret for the blemish his strike earlier left on Louis’ face, a face so delicate it should be protected. Protected as much as Stark’s energy formula. So Stark is responsible for making Jared do thatto those lips. From those lips a little hissing sound escapes Louis as the act of taking Jared in him is made to happen by the droid. Louis’ eyes close. He is hissing and winching as inch by inch of Jared’s dick enters him. Jared laughs his crazy laugh again as he feels himself so aroused, delighting as every inch of him is slowly sliding deeply into Louis’ hole while he watches Louis’ face reacting to it. Despite the pain on Louis’ face, this is insanely good for Jared. He likes that he must feel big entering this small, pretty thing. 

When bottomed deeply in Louis Jared has to praise. 

“Oh, my god you are such a fucking masterpiece! Jesus! Oh, Jesus! Fuck Louis. Mr Stark knows amazing when he finds it. You are so fucking sweet a fuck!”

Louis doesn’t respond. He pants. Tears flow, his head drops forward. Jared feels tears burning hot landng on his skin when they drop from Louis’ face onto Jared’s his body reclined under Louis.

Jared begins bringing movement to their union by combining the use of his bruising grip to direct Louis’ hips to roll to and fro along while thrusting his pelvis up to drive into Louis. Having so much intensity pleasuring on his cock Jared closes his eyes to prevent being overtaken by the beauty of Louis. His head turns rapidly left and right againand again as Jared attempts to stay in so deep when it feels so good, too good, such that it almost hurts. It fuels the want to come in this body before he gets nearly enough of this rhythm enacted. “Oh jeez, you are so fucking tight and hot,”

Jared wants this to be a good show, not too quick. He makes a rapidly spoken plead for the droid to help him before he comes sooner than he’d like from the intensity, “Pull! Pull, pull him up, pull him up or I’ll come too soon, fuck he’s so unbearably good! Fuck me, he’s good!” 

With his cock slipping free Jared takes a moment to feel himself before he nods like to tell the droid to let Louis come back down. “Damn this is so intense, you make my dick feel so big, you’re so tight and hot. I can’t believe this, this is this impossibly good. Sit down deep on me sweet cheeks, you’re such a sweet fuck and so tight.”

As Jared moans through Louis taking all of him in, Louis’ head lolls side to side. He winches and pants. Again, more tears, whimpering softly. If not for the droid’s hold on Louis he’d surely collapse.

After a few more repeats of this droid facilitated pumping of Jared’s erection into Louis’ body Jared feels primed. He tells the droid to pull Louis completely off, lay Louis on the bed, his back down. Jared then crawls over Louis pushing Louis’ legs apart so he has room to hover over his prey. On all fours over Jared looks down at what he’s done.

Louis is lying spayed open with no fight in him. He doesn’t move. The first bruise to Louis’ face is well into horrendous-looking. The strike, which made Louis’ lip bleed is rapidly darkening too. Where the droid held arms like a vice are a series of new marks like stripes branding Louis’ arms, one stripe for each metal finger. Hips have small red dots from biting fingernails. Sweaty, dazed, Louis’ blue eyes stare up with a gassy vacancy as a few tears drop. They are the only sign that he is awake but fading. Skin that was honeyed when Jared first discovered this secret is paler. He’s breathing looks rapid, but his wakefulness is tenuous; he’s struggling for the strength to endure.

“Princess, you gonna stay awake to feel my big finish fucking you, I want you like this. Accepting under me. No fight. I want to drive into you until you cry out. You’re so quiet taking this. Perfect, but so quiet.”

Jared positions himself and begins to push his dick in. He stops. Pulls out. Pushes in. He’s delighted at how this feels with a new approach. He stops once to touch Louis’ chin and remark on the damage on Louis face. “Sort of sorry I did all that though. Such a pretty thing. You should never be beaten like this. Too bad Tony put you here unprotected for me to find, hum?.”

Then Jared trusts all his length in. He can’t help himself after that. He yearns for what he feels building. It’s turn on to do this to Stark’s prized poseession. He thrusts in with quick successions until he has to stop deep in and ride out the new sensation, his dick spasming in the body of another as he screams.

”F-f-fuck yes, oh fuck yes, sweet, sweet cunt, fuck!”

***

Jared's dick slips out with the come that flows out from within Louis. He signs for his droid to “mute”.

He checks with in the droid. “You got the beauty of all of that right? Want to make sure Mr Stark has all of this for his collection. Let’s get you ready. I want you to insert as many of the smallest size nodes as we can get from splitting one standard node. I wanna make sure he succumbs, sadly too, because he’s so pleasing. Only Mr Stark can keep a secret like this so since I can’t have him, he has to be useful in some other way for me. Too bad, really too bad. Now make yourself one of these, but like this,” 

Jared holds his dick when he directs the droid to make “one of these”. He picks up the anal beads when he says “but like this”. 

The droid begins to reform some of its mass. In seconds it has a penis-like, segmented appendage erected from its pelvis. Jared feels the beastly modification with his hand. He's pleased. He licks his lips and says, “Delicious. Mr Stark’s prize will look so good impaled with this, don’t you think? But what angle? Hum, I’m thinking we should roll him over, bum up. I want to show this thing of yours going in his pretty hole one bead at a time, slowly. That will be so obscenely arousing, I think, very effective for Mr Irondick Stark. I didn’t get Louis off with my dick, maybe he’ll like this thing of yours. After all we need to get some action for show.” 

With Jared’s attention on his droid he failed to notice Louis drifted off. 

He looks at the unconscious form and he feels some remorse. This is how he will force Stark to give him the most valuable thing in modern time. It’s a shame he’s going to potentially, most likely, kill the messenger. 

Jared caresses Louis’ battered face. Louis doesn’t move so Jared rolls Louis over. 

“Get to it.” Jared sits beside Louis, squeezes out some lube, and parts the full bum to enable the droid to get a visible start. 

The massive droid comes forward in a plank position and begins with one bead to start pushing into the body under him. 

Jared let’s go of the cheeks. He finds this rape a strikingly a mix of arousing and sickening. But the droid is imitating the act of fucking. This fascinates Jared. It makes the first three beads disappear Louis, then pulls back to have just one buried in, then it pushes four beads in, following by pulling back to keeping just one bead in Louis. The droids rhythm is awkward, but it’s got the basics to the act down. Five beads in Jared says “Hold it there. You are recording this, I want to pull his cheeks apart again, I want to show the fifth and fourth going in and out a few more times for emphasis of this before you go deeper. I want Mr Stark to see clearly how we use this boy.” 

The droid does as Jared instructs. This mid depth fucking is when Louis regains consciousness. 

Louis makes noises. He’s in pain, trying to state something about it in words. Probably he can’t. Louis next tries to move a little for relief and the droid firmly pins Louis. This is an obviously a painful change because the droid has to put its knees down, this changes the angle of its thing imbedded half it’s length into Louis. Louis screams and goes to gasping immediately relinguishing his futile attempt, letting the droid move one arm extending up and over to combine so it has both of Louis’ limbs taken into a single hold by one large metal hand. 

Jared reminds the droid. “Don’t break bones, gently. He’s so delicate, gently.” 

Jared pets the back of Louis’ head and speaks softly to him seeing how the boy’s body is so strained. 

“Be still, sweet cheeks, be still. He’s hard in you, hum? It’s so pretty though. Seeing each bead disappear into your beautiful hole, reappear, again and again. He’s only got five in you sweet little thing, we go three more to go before we stop. Be good. Seems if you have had two daddies in , like Ive seen, this is nothing so new to you. When it’s all in, we’ll give you a little tingle. You like that vibrator? We’ll give you some tingle like that. Got to be all in sweet cheeks, all in.” 

Louis keeps making pained little noises as he pants and gasps. He’s shaking. His face buried in bedding under him doesn’t prevent Jared from knowing his whimpering is because he’s hiding crying.. 

In a direct tone, Jared speaks to the droid. 

“Back to it. Better to get this thing of yours all in him before he passses out again. Damn I wish I could keep him myself. Look at that spectacular ass. He sounds so fucking lovely making his little noises just now.” Jared finishes his talk without realizing how he has made himself hard playground with himself in one hand while petting Louis the other hand. 

Jared closely watches as the droid slowly continues. Six beads push in. Following the droid backs out to three alone imbedded. Next thrust it’s seven beads in, back out to three. As eight are fed in for the first time Jared feels his own dick very hard in his hand. He’d begun wanking himself at some point without being conscious of this. Jared is talking in the most filthy of words about how this is such a turn on. The narration is purposeful. It gives a record being made of this extra burn to anyone Jared will want to share it with. The goal is that when presented to Stark it will be devastating. 

Several compete bottomings on the eight bead length are performed before Jared says. “Mute”. The droid mutes sound of recording. Jared instructs it. “Hold the tip of the first bead pressing the most deep in there. You need to release the thing from the most deepest in him for them to latch on. Release. Okay Sound back on.” 

As the droid commences as instructed, Jared lets go of his dick so he can use his hands to faciltate a whisper to Louis, cupping one ear with one hand while other hands pats one of Louis’ arse cheeks. “So here’s the tickle I promised sweet cheeks, sense that vibration, hum? Such a pretty messenger you are, so pretty. It’s almost over now. You’re so good taking this.”

To the droid Jared says “Get out, I wanna show his wrecked hole now, close up. “ 

The droid moves to pull out and it releases its hold on Louis who doesn’t move from his face down, arms over his head, legs sprawled out position. Louis is trembling, sweating and his breathing is labored. This doesn’t cease when the droid is done. 

Thea action of the droid complete, Jared puts his hands on each cheek so the fullness doesn’t shield the image he wants captured. Louis hole is bright red, and worn. Jared adds to the impact by demonstrating how easily he can put three fingers in. The thrill of Louis wrecked like this gets the better of Jared. He did not intend this in his plan but he’s helpless. Louis looks so gorgeous. 

Jared grabs some lube, squirts and ample amount on the bum and gets his fully erect dick plunged into Louis hastily.jared wants to make a new view of himself wrecking the devastated Louis to make a big finale. Jared comes to lying on Louis so his chest covers the back of this battered treasure. Jared begins thrusting into Louis relentlessly uncaringwith his need, 

Even though Louis is much less tight, Jared chides how “its fucking sensational feeling my dick driving in, angel, a new kind of pleasure, every thrust so good, so sweet angle.” 

Jared slips an arm around Louis’ torso under their two sweat-sealed bodies. “Sweet cunt love feeling powerful in you, it’s so easy to encompass your tiny body in one arm.” 

Jared’s other hand goes to wrap lightly on Louis’ neck. He doesn’t want to restrict Louis’ challenged breath; he wants to feel Louis’ pulse as Louis is struggling to stay. Jared needs him to stay. 

Making narrations more praising of Louis as Jared presses his mouth to one ear. So close, Jared feels Louis shuddering. Jared wishes this was because he has Louis coming, but he’s sure it’s nothing of the sort so he continues his praising wanting to cum in a spatacular fashion for Stark to see. 

“Fucking perfect sweetness” Jared says to keep Louis awake, “such a good whore even when wrecked, fucking perfect. Sweet, sweet ass, takes dick so well, fucking makes his daddies cum again and again.” 

A couple fully punishing final thrusts into Louis and Jared pulls back and out. He splatters Louis backside from bottom to neck in his spray of cum. He slaps the bum on one side. And terminates the record for Stark with, “Nice, sweet ass Mr Stark, so sad to see this lost.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And some Harry....
> 
> ....

The advantage for Warmachine from the start was at no time did US military confuse Warmachine as a threat. Unable to easily communicate with Ironman and Jarvis made coordination between the three of them impossible. At some point in time though the communication gets less disrupted for Warmachine. Jarvis can be heard in some broken transmissions. By this time Jim has gotten the jets that were in combat with phantom MIGs to land at their base and he clears the small drones that were creating mirages and disruptions. The more of these infestations Jim destroys the more he has Jarvis coming through in communications. This clues Jim to how much more a challenge the front Ironman faces in China must be.

Warmachine obliterates the last of the small drones and Jarvis comes in perfectly clear.

Shocking though. The first thing Jim hears is “Stark’s LA residence has been compromised. Louis in serious duress.”

Jim has this information in his ear and he also has a general in his face discussing what that was, the Jared induced drones, and what to do now. Jim can’t know what “duress” means, somehow he has a hunch that Jarvis doesn’t mean Louis is just afraid of being alone or something. He decides to tell the general he “has got to go”. They can follow up about the attack later.

Warmachine lands at the terrace of Stark’s home. Ironically this is exactly like the metallic droid had done earlier. He enters the house calling out to announce himself, “Louis? It’s Tony’s friend Jim. Is everything okay?”

The house is quiet. 

Jim exits his suit and walks to the foot of the stairs. “Louis?”

Starting up the stairs he repeats, “Louis, it’s Jim, Tony’s friend Jim Rhodes, you okay?”

Jim is apprehensive as he enters the master suite. “Jarvis, he’s, here isn't he?”

“Bed. Not responding.” Jarvis says. “Not for some time.”

Jim rushes in to the bed. Lying there face down legs sprawled out, marked in splatters of cum and bruises is Louis. There is massive bruise on Louis’ lower back, an array of smaller ones on Lous’ hips and a painfully dark one on his visible cheekbone. There are also strangely stripe-like marks on Louis’ upper arms. 

Jim kneels down so he is at eye level with Louis. Louis is lying there motionless despite Jim announcing himself. Most disturbing though is how Louis’ eyes are open. Is he conscious? Jim fears the answer. Is he’s dead. 

Reaching to touch a shoulder lightly Jim gets his answered. 

Louis startles. Immediately, moves only in beginning to shudder, to begin panting rapid in breaths with broken pleas. “N-n-no,”. Eyes close and flash open “Nn-n-no”.

“Louis, it’s Jim Rhodes, Tony’s friend, not going to hurt you...” Jim says rubbing gently on the shoulder his hand rests.

Jim looks over Louis’ form. Louis is not moving his limbs at all. Except to tremble and struggle in every breath, he’s fixed in place. Jim fears that Louis can’t do anything more. Calmingly Jim offers a suggestion. 

“Shhh, just breathe. Breathe. Don’t move. I’m getting some ice and some thing to clean you with, some meds, I’ll be right back.”

Louis’ only reply is in the form of tears flowing. He still isn’t acting like he intends to move any limbs. Jim is pretty sure that Louis can’t. When Jim returns with water, ibuprofen, towels and ice compresses he finds Louis is hauntingly still again. Glazed eyes staring out but no sign of anything lifelike even breathing. Jim softly says his name, “Louis?”

Again Louis begins like before, a startle, a blink, tears, unnatural sounding breathing. Trembling.

Jim sets out to be a soft and gentle as he can. He announces everything before he does it. He puts a cold compress against Louis’ face after he gently cleans off some blood striped by trails of tears. 

Jim works his way down from head to body, next cleaning off the coagulated jizz. As he leaves skin clean he puts compresses over bruised areas. The massive bruise at kidney level seems especially painful. Louis does a noticeable shudder when Jim applies aid there. Jim moves down, cleans off Louis’ bum without making himself too invasive. He’s pretty sure it’s unseamingly feeling for Louis what is left behind but Jim’s not ready to be more intrusive. Though it all Louis whimpers when things hurt, but suffers it greatly; he pants and tears when it’s less bareble. 

Jim notes the way Louis’ shivers as a demarcation from a constant tremble which suggest the boy’s level of pain. Mostly Jim wants to get pain meds started but Louis hasn’t moved except for the involuntary trembles and shivers; to take the pills he’ll need to roll over. At last, the back of Louis is tended, risks the dreaded suggestion. 

“Louis, I’m sorry, but can you do something for me? Would you please try to move your toes? I need to know if there’s something broken. Please. Take a breath, wiggle toes, only if you can please.”

It’s comforting that Louis can respond. Jim presses on. 

“Good, that’s good. So can you flex your fingers please, just show me a little move, again, only if you can.” 

Louis’ fingers curl. That’s a hopeful sign. Jim takes a deep breath and presses Louis again. 

“Good, good. Okay, so I’m guessing we need to look at your other side, yeah? So how about I place onto the bed some of these compresses, and we work together to move you? I’ll guide you rolling over to your back, unless you think that is too much? But maybe if we can get you on your back I can take care of more things that hurt. Unless you thing you want to stay as you are? Although we need to move you so you can take something, for pain.” 

Louis has not really spoken. Jim is aware of this. He feels bad asking for anything from Louis but he needs this boy to take some pills, water. Louis is stilled, not reacting. Jim prompts him. 

“Louis?” 

Louis cries through his words. “Jarvis was to keep me safe!” 

That is clearly it for the boy. Louis instantly begins heaving. Something, not much comes up; Louis rolls to his side as he hurls. He catches the first of it in his hand moving at last because of need. Quick to respond Jim throws down a towel before Louis again wretches. It’s painful for Jim to witness. Louis cycles between gastric upheavals, each producing nothing much, and gasps for air as he shudders between each uncontrollable wrenching. Maybe it’s because Louis has been a whole day without his caretaker or any thing, his body seems to have nothing to give up and yet again and again it tries. When these hellish waves of nausea slow and pass Louis is left shaking and trashing a little. Jim takes this as a chance to roll Louis onto his back. 

Jim checks. “Louis, you done with that?” Before he begins. 

Louis nods. Jim gently rolls Louis from his side to his back trying to make it so places that need cooling compresses come to reside on the placed offereings of comfort. As soon as Louis is lying face up Jim begins as before, gently cleaning face, apply cool compress. 

Lying in this new position Louis looks no better than when he was face down. The hidden side of Louis’ face has a large bruise on one side of his mouth and his lower jaw. His lower lip had been bleeding. His arms bear a continuation of the strangely stripped marks. His chest has bruises from some concentrated strikes. They litter his ribs on one side. Louis’ hips and pelvis bare the dots of something puncturingly deep into skin. In a word he is wrecked. 

Jim tries not to show his repulsion. He then remembers Louis can’t see. Right. That was easy to forget when Jim is faced with such obvious, painful remains of what Jared did. 

Going for sounding calm about what he is confronting for Louis’ sake, Jim says, “There, there now. That face of yours is all clean.Let’s get some pain meds in you, okay? Then I can take care of the rest.” 

A few pills and some water pass Louis’ lips with Jim’s assist. Louis is back to a glazed stare and seemingly inpercepatble breathing. Jim cleans Louis, decides to leave the compresses to do their work on bruises and pulls a warm cover Louis. He steps away for sake of speaking to Jarvis without disturbing the battered boy. 

“Jarvis, are we getting Tony yet?” 

“Ironman is still engaged. He has no benefit of friendly terms among the Chinese. He’s nearly got the drones destroyed, his com remains compromised by their technology.” 

“As soon as he can hear you, do tell him Louis needs him.” 

“Always trying.” 

*** 

It is when there are only four small drones remaining that a broken sounding message registers. “Louis is down.” This is all it takes. Tony takes out all but one of the last four as he rockets off making his greatest velocity to cover circumventing the globe at his best speed. 

He lands at his home his suit is shed and he runs through a quiet home to his bedroom. 

Jim is sitting in the room bedside. He looks tired. He nods his head toward the bed but doesn’t say anything. Laying there with just a sliver of him showing is Louis. 

Tony sits, pulls some covering aside and wants to hurl immediately. He tries to break out of it. 

“Did ah, did, did he break anything?” Tony’s voice sounds like words are hard to make. 

“Looks like no, lots of bruises front and back, not sure about something more, down there. He hasn’t been awake much.” Jim reaches over to a bedside stand and takes something tiny. It’s a thing Jim found left there for discovery after he initially took care of Louis. “It appears Jared left this. His style of presentation is particularly charming.” 

There is a microchip with data. Along with it is a cheap version of the minure drones the two men had been fighting. This one however was a shell of a drone. Beetle shaped, empty except for holding the chip. It has one simple function. Insert the chip into a port and it projects about a six inch image onto any wall or vertical surface. The projection shows the data, video, on the microchip. It’s the recording of what Louis suffered.

Tony makes it half way through the first section, showing Louis made to ride Jared’s dick, before he goes to hurl. Jim stays by Louis’ side not sure he can see this through, but then that’s about as far as he made it on his first attempt to see what Jared left, before Jim couldn’t take seeing it. He decided he’d wait for Stark before he’d try to watch more. 

The second section has Jim going to the bathroom with Tony sitting there a hand over his open mouth and his face streaked with tears. It’s the part where the massive droid is feeding its anal-bead-like dick into Louis. The ultimate nightmare, it fucking Louis. 

Both men are slumped, vacant of understanding as they watch the third session. Why are they even subjecting themselves to it? It’s the video of Jared having Louis one last time seemingly for the purpose of leaving his stench on Louis for intention of its discovery when Tony returns home. Yet as horrendous as this is to watch Tony, and Jim, know from past experiences that there is a reason for this. It’s not just cruelty. In Jared’s spoken message to Tony he specifically says, “Talk to me Mr Stark if you decide you want to share tech. Maybe don’t wait too long though.” 

What is Jared implying? 

Just coming off of the horror of the watching the rape, Tony needs to do something. He’s got Jarvis feeding him information about what Jared was doing in his failed attempt to break into the files on Tony’s energy technology. Unsuccessful in aquaireing what he wants was how Jared began snooping around in other arenas ultimately leading to all the Louis-obsessed content. So clearly, Tony directed Jared to his Achille’s heel.

Sicken more deeply at every turn Tony returns to Louis lying motionsless on the bed having undressed himself and started a bath for tehm. He takes Louis’ limp body off the bed as gently as he can. Bringing Louis into the bath, propping Louis on him as he sits in the tub Tony soaks and whispers about his foolishness stupidity. Why did he leave Louis? Louis mumbles in return though his eyes stay closed. 

Was it something about not being safe? Jarvis gone? Monster inside him? Seems whatever Louis wanted to say it couldn’t be as bad as that which is already in Tony’s head. 

Jim comes in to talk about what he’s learned compiling information taken by both their suits and Jarvis. The small drones that latched on the jet craft were designed to interfere with communications, make mirage images on the hull of their infiltrated craft, basically create and enemy within. When they were numerous they had enough combined power to obscure any frequency of transmission from an outside source. Thus, it seemed China was in US territory and vice versa. 

It took the mass number of the drones to make the connection with Jarvis comprimised. The two positions of the attacks acted to triangulate to direct away where the most serious breech was, Stark’s own estate. 

Louis was an unexpected surprised when Jared invaded. He was an unintended consequence of the long standing battle between Jared and Stark for the energy technology that evaded Jared’s control. 

Jim concludes his summation ignoring that he’s talking to a naked Tony Stark sitting in a tub craddling a fractured and broken boy, wanting to turn back time and do it all differently as evidence by Tony saying he “never should have...” in rambles like he’s half listening and half himself too in shock. 

“Somehow it doesn’t feel right though that his, what he, the thing they did to Louis is just an act of retaliation. It feels more than that. Doesn’t it? I think, Tony, I think it’s time we take him to the hospital, or something. Call Dr Cho, or someone. Anything. But I have a bad feeling about this. Really bad.” 

“No hospital. No. I’m going to check him out, here, myself. I have something downstairs that I can use, scope him. Look for what might be ravaged inside. But no hospital. He needs me to protect him. Especially now. Now that I left open the idea that he means something to me, he’s going to be in danger, Jared eluded to that. He wants me to know that. He wants it to force my hand. I will not concede. I will not give Louis up.” 

With that Tony stands to bring Louis out of the water with him. Tony doesn’t care he’s getting water everywhere. He just takes Louis out of the bathroom, pausing only to grab towels. Siting beside the bed where Jim was watchful of Louis for hours earlier Tony swaddles Louis in the towels as he asks Jim to change the bed for him, “...please, can’t put him back on the smell of Jared, can’t. Wish I could swipe his memories all over again. Start fresh. I finally had his unconditional, free of fear trust. Now I have to try to begin to start all over.” 

When Jim finishes the bed Tony tells him what the scope looks like, where it is. He asks Jim to bring some rubbing alcohol too so Tony can sterilize it. 

Jim returns with the items to find that Louis is laying on the clean bed in much the same position as when Jim first discovered him. He’s clean of course. But the bruises are all now fully pronounced in red so dark that they are almost purple. Tony has some lube. He has clearly looked at the boy’s entrance. He’s laying chest down between Louis’ legs and he has his arms crossed with his forehead resting on them face down. Tony is destroyed seeing Louis like this. 

“It’s bad, I take it.” 

Keeping his face down Tony says “Not torn, but yes, pretty bad. If lucky, he’s not bleeding inside. Sure wish I had Cho here, but not sure I can face anyone else seeing this though, not until I know he’s going to be okay.” 

Jim lays the alcohol and scope on the bed. “We can take him to the hospital. We can do it without anyone knowing how he got there.” 

This makes Tony snap. “Rhodie, Jared isn’t going to dismiss the fact he has this to use against me. He isn’t. He’s probably right now scouring for Louis facts. Plotting. I’m not going to ever put Louis at risk. I can’t do that. You know you can leave now if you want to argue that. Just leave.” 

Jim feels the pain. He understands Tony has not had a vulnerable spot since the Ironman suit. Finally, once again he’s a normal person. Vulnerable. 

“I won’t leave yet. Believe it or not, I think you need me. He needs me. We need to see this through together. If it’s no to hospital than why don’t you buck up and take a looksey.” 

Tony props himself up on his elbows, getting the better angle for sterizing the scope. Trying to be clinical he squeezes some freshly opened lube on Louis. Placing a finger on either side of Louis’ hole, Tony supports the red, irritated tissue with his touch the best he can as he slides the bendable, chord-like instrument with a tiny camera and light on its tip into Louis’ body slowly. 

The camera and light can direct 360’ which Tony uses to examin for damage. An image on a tiny screen on the opposite end of the scope shows what is captured by the camera. Not surprising given anatomy, the ring of muscles is red, swollen, sore. Deeper inside where tissues are less nerve laden, tissues designed for expanding and retracting, Louis looks undamaged. Tony makes the camera extend a little deeper. He doesn’t have medical training but to him it looks like no evidence of concern from the abuse. Once fear of internal damage is demised Tony quickly removes the scope. Tony applies some medical ointment to Louis’ sore hole. It appears he’s always kept the tube of antibiotic beside the bed and this won’t change anytime soon. In Tony’s mind this is hauntingly like what he faced when he first brought Louis home from Simon and Paul. 

Before covering Louis Tony gives one cheek a tiny peck of a kiss. 

Neither man says it but they are both relieved that because of exhaustion Louis slept through all of the exam. 

“When did you give him ibuprofen? I want to make sure to stay ahead of pain with that.” 

Jim looks at the time, “He’s okay for a couple more hours.” 

*** 

A couple hours it should be. But soon after Tony falls asleep with Louis in his arms Tony wakes because Louis is a sweaty mess. He’s also thrashing. It’s a lot like when Louis first came home with Tony, but not. It’s more feverish. 

Louis mumbles through some nonsensical rambles. He says something that Tony thinks is like “They are not real they are Inuit”. 

Tony lays Louis on his back and tries to wake him from a bad dream and his mantra of senselessness. Louis doesn’t respond. He keeps shaking, rambling, staring up from glassy, unseeing eyes. He’s sweats. 

Tony runs to get a thermometer. A quick check Louis is at 102.5. Tony runs from the room going to a bathroom in the hall of the floor of bedrooms where he keeps other pain meds and fever reducers. He has some liquid Tylenol. Maybe Jim thought Louis swallowed pills, but in the recesses his mind Tony recalls that Louis, according to Jim, was throwing up. Like his body revolted from the abuse in such a visceral sense that it had to purge everything. So maybe the pills never took affect. Maybe Jim doesn’t remember what happened first. It might be essential to feed him any meds he can swallow. 

Tony’s scrambles through the hall to another bathroom tossing things noisily aside as he rummages through a medicine cabinet wakes Jim who was sleeping in a room nearby. 

“What’s wrong?” Jim asks as Tony blows past hm running back to his room.

“Louis, he’s become feverish, having nightmares...something is terribly wrong.” 

*** 

Across town Harry enter his LA home. 

With him is his ginger koala friend, fellow musician. Someone, this friend, so close to Harry and Louis that he knows their words like they are his own. These words of Harry’s and Louis’ appear in the friend’s lyrics reoaedtly. It’s this friend that Harry has been living with a lot lately, especially when he needs someone to cry on. 

“Arry, what are we doing here? You say it’s not comfortable, let’s go to mine. “

Harry ignores Ed.

In his deep, slow voice as he enters the laundry of his 30 million dollar mansion that he rarely uses he replies as he searches through a basket of unwashed clothes.

“Just looking for my Packers hoodie. Thought I must have left it here.”

Ed enters the room. He knows.

Unlike so many others who think they know Harry Styles, Ed really knows him. He understands Harry needs this. A piece of home. Harry’s search for the hoodie is in vain. Harry stands up and puts his hands over his face. Tears escape from behind the hands. Ed tries to cheer him up.

“It’s okay mate, bet they are on Amazon and available with next day delivery with Amazon Prime. We can get another.” Ed places an arm around his friend’s shoulders. Leading Harry out Harry offers his explanation. 

“Na, you don't understand. It’ not ‘a Packer’s hoodie’. It’s ‘The Packer Hoodie’. It’s the one we shared. Its the one that I wore when we sat around a camp fire as a band before things got so bad and Louis sat in my lap while we counted the stars. It’s the one Louis wore on times I came home late to him from a stunt , him wearing ITV to make me laugh because he wore it like a tunic, nothing else under it. It’s us. It’s home. It’s ‘That’ Packer’s Hoodie’. I need it.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very plot and details section.

When Tony calls Dr Helen Cho he learns she happens to be doing her work, revolutionary work, in a new lab in Vancouver. That research center has the support team most essential to the phase of her that she is undertaking. 

For Dr Cho this phone call is an atypical situation. It’s unusual to ever hear anything other than aggrogance and confidence in Tony Stark’s voice. Given that they are talking by video chat what is more striking is the way Tony apppears as he’s asking her for immediate undefined medical assistance. Tony’s face is furrowed with worry. He’s distracted, he’s not articulate.

Cho repeats her offer. Pragmatic, stoic in nature as a scientist, not much unsettles her. Before now she would consider herself only second in unflappablity to Tony Stark. Yet here Tony is, completely unsettled, pleading for her assistance. Precisely what for whom he isn’t saying.

“If I understand what you’re asking Tony, I will gladly help you but I can’t do things without my own equipment. I know you have an expansive range of tech, equipment, but my resources are very specific to my work. I still don’t know who we’re talking about, is this Jim we’re needing me to see? I know you both were just engaged in a battle, please tell me, are we talking about Jim?”

Jim appears over the shoulder from somewhere off just behind Tony on the screen. He looks fine, maybe tired. He smiles a weirdly awkward smile and gives a wave but there is air of strain. “No, not me, I’m fine. We are both fine.”

Tony offers a little explanation. 

“It’s my, um, he’s, a...um, a guest of mine. He was here alone when Jared used a diversion he created for luring me and Jim so he could try to get into my system. He left my guest, um, like this. I don’t think this is a problem for the local hospital. Please get what you can and come, I’ll send Jim for you.”

Helen shakes her head. “No, Tony. Bring the your guest to me.”

Tony was preparing to argue. That’s when he has a distracting call ringing in. Again it’s a video call. Jared.

Tony picks up the link. 

Jared is sitting in a dark room so as to keep null information about his surroundings. He’s smiles, looking very smug. “We must be very confused there aren’t we Mr Stark. How is the lovely surprise? Still breathing I hope? Maybe, I fear overall he’s not doing so good.”

“You’re playing with someone who is completely innocent Jared, why? I presume because you’re always such a coward.”

“Coward? True, true, I prefer to think of myself as one clever enough to run away and live to fight another day. But that sweet, sweet boy toy of yours, does he have another day? He could you know. You could make his recovery happen, but you’ll have to act fast. How is he anyway? Sort of regret the entire approach, maybe I should have just brought him here. For a trade. Kept him, you know, because he is such a lovely thing. I’d rather enjoying doing him again to pass my time. But alas, it is not to be. But you Mr Stark, you can stop his suffering. You can enjoy doing, what did Louis say, doing things to make him feel good. Give me the tech I need. I give you the key. Surely one so pretty and pleasing is worth that to you.”

Jared ends his speech that was very dramatically spoken for effect.

Tony is filled with rage and frustration. He knows Jared is never that guy one can trust. 

“It’s that easy. I give you what you want and you give me the key.”

“Yes. It’s that easy. Although, I’m sure Louis isn’t long before it’s too late. And I should warn you the key is my droid, so there is that. Not sure you’ll like it penetrating deep into your sweet, little pixie’s ass again. But can’t be avoided if you want him freed. Then again is see you have a taste for a certain type of fantasy, you might enjoy watching it.”

Tony cuts the call. He can’t take it. He will face up to bringing this monster upon Louis but not now. Not if the way to undo what has been done is to put Louis back with that nightmare of a contraption. Even is Louis is unconscious, the prospect of such an approach is so twisted.

“Jim we’re taking Louis to Vancouver.”

*** 

The research labs in Vancouver were empty of Dr Cho’s team when the three arrived, with Louis being carried in a closed metal pod. They were received by a lone security person who took them in to where Helen met them at the main doors to the internal series of research labs. She has seen Tony’s pods before. The pods are a chamber. They float along like a hover craft. Their speed can be lightening fast, or as in this case, at the pace of a person at walk. Once Helen leads them to her main medical lab, Tony opens the pod. 

A rush of cool air escapes. Lying there looking tiny in the roomy pod is a recognizable figure, famously missing pop star Louis Tomlinson. 

Despite the low temperature he’s sweating. He is also unconscious, disturbingly off-color. 

Helens hands sweep over to her assorted tools. Tony lifts Louis from the pod and puts him on a place Helen nods directing him to lay the boy. 

In an instant she rattled off her assesment. “His heartbeat is strong but he’s suffering respiratory stress and his body temperature is critical, he’s 105.7. Organ failure can begin at 106.” 

She is beginning a scan of some sort. “This is not viral?” 

Tony shakes his head. “No.” He knows she wasn’t really asking but he confirms the suspicion. 

“Jared did this, you said he did something.” She’s talking as she is quickly getting an IV going in Louis’ arm. She puts a mask over Louis’ face, oxygen. Sensors she’s placed on his torso makes an abundance of data appear on a large monitor. Each action she takes makes a piece of Tony’s heart feel more pain. 

Jim steps beside her to show her a brief clip of a video that he’s made play on the tiny screen of his Warmachine watch. It shows the graphic nature of what Jared’s droid did to Louis. 

Helen puts her hand over her mouth as she gasps in shock. 

“Oh my god that is sick. Truly sick, sick, sick. It’s a delivery device, isn’t it? He’s used his machine to implant something.” 

Helen’s brilliance is what sets her apart. She knows the venue of Jared research, she knows his personality type. She can put that together with what Louis is experiencing and connect the dots. 

“That’s the fear, but before we knew he’d done something more that brutalize Louis for sport, I took the precaution of making what I thought was a thorough exam. I made use of a scope to check him, look for internal damage. He looked okay, other than the external signs of battery.” 

Helen looks angry. Is she angry at Tony? Maybe. Most certainly she is angry at Jared because she makes that abundantly clear. “He’s such a hateful, despicable piece of crap. Jared thinks his work is so acceptional. But I can’t beat it. He built his microsizing capacity on my original work.” 

Helen slams down something she wanted out of her way as she went to retrieve another tool. “I don’t doubt you couldn’t see anything, it’s not like he put a bullet in this body. He doesn’t need to. But that thing of his, it’s a death machine. It has one purpose. Ironman needs to destroy it, destroy it and put Jared away forever.” 

She slams some more things around and instructs them to move. This allows her to pull free from a wall a large apparatus swings out over the floor hanging from a mechanical arm. She turns it on. It lights up with a blue luminescence making it look like a large glowing donut suspended over the floor. Despite the tubes and equipment cords running from other equipment to sensors on Louis the donut-tube can be moved to engulf in its inner open hole the platform Louis’ body is lying on. Helen rants as she slides the donut to encompass Louis. “I can beat his tech. He inserted something in this body and I can find it.” 

Tony wants to kiss her for saying that. She’s so very determined in her state of anger. It makes this delicate, young woman kind of intimidating. And, because she’s so, so , so very brilliant she gives Tony hope. She’s also no where near ready to end her rant. 

“I mean what kind of monster uses their device to inseminate someone who is innocent all to blackmail another? “ Once again Tony takes this as a rhetorical question. Helen hastily switches some calibrations of her donut’s settings. Under her breath before proceeding to slowly scan Louis again she mummers “fucker”. 

A click up of Louis temperature to 105.9 has her fuming more and Tony sweating. Louis is going to die. Jim must share the same fear, he steps beside Tony and puts his arm around Tony’s shoulders. Tony knows Jim has to be thinking Tony has completely missed the chance to avoid this getting so far by failing to contact Helen immediately.

When the luminescent donut gets to mid chest Of Louis’ body Helen gets some reading that makes her pause. She keeps the machine still, adjusts settings, then comments. 

“You both should get into surgical gowns, clean up. He’s got some nonbiological particles at the base of his left lung. We’re going to get them out. I’ll need your assistance. First I want to see if there is more. I’m detecting maybe ten alien particles in the same general area.” 

As the two men step aside to put on steril gowns Helen resets the apparatus again and she makes the donut slowly continue to scan from where it was stopped to move down as to scan Louis’ entire torso, pelvis. Clearly convinced where “particles” are, or are not, she brings the donut back the way it came as to not dislodge any tubes and cords leading to Louis. As soon as the donut is clear of Louis she pushes it aside to quickly get herself scrubbed and into a steril gown. She then begins inserting by syringe a couple more meds into the line going into Louis’ IV. 

“We got to be fast. I’m not sure what Jared put in him but I know how I can find it. Them. Like I said there appeared to as many as ten alien bodies in him. I’m going to make an incision right below his bottom rib to access them. They read as metal based so that makes it highly likely I can attract them to a micro probe. Basically I’m looking for something the size of a splinter which I will collect with a series of needle like probe that are thinner than even the smallest size acupuncture needles. What I need you to do is recessatate the area. I’m going to let the incision bleed out. It’s best for his body because I think his fever is because these particles entered from his, where that thing pushed into, and they’ve traveled up through his body. They’ve made microscopic holes on their path through organs.” 

Tony doesn’t know if the bleeding thing is something he can take swing because this is Louis. If it were anyone else... maybe. Hopefully Jim can resist a feeling of nausea. 

Helen works fast. The cut she makes is tiny. It still has the effect of sickening Tony. Helen inserts into the incision a tool that looks like a common needle. Clearly it’s not. As soon as she gets a beep from it she tells Jim to grab a large specimen bottle. She pulls the needle out, drops the entire thing into the glass bottle, tells him to put a lid on it. “I’m going for another.” She shares. “The particle is attached to the tip of that, it’s minute, but we will look at it under a scope. These particles are moving, their animated. So they’ve made massive impact coming through his body.” 

With a fresh needle in hand Helen makes another probe in through the incision. Again she collects something, at least that’s Tony’s assumption because she pulls the needle out once there is a beep. Again she drops the needle into the glass container, gets a fresh tool. This goes on time and time again. She gets no more signs of particles after she’s collected ten, or at least that’s how many needles are in the jar when she concludes the destructive agents are all removed. 

”Tony you can switch to applying a compress to the site and pressing it there. I’m going to close the incision after I work at stopping his infection now that I have a sense of the path those particles took.” 

“One of Dr Cho’s most promising research areas is tissue regeneration. She has been working with a polymerase that can attach to cellular mechanisms and turn on regenerative processes. Can she make a limb rebuild? No. But can she do cellular repair at a local, microscopic level? Yes. 

Helen switches to fresh steril gloves after she pulls out a trays that are full of another type of acupuncture like needles. Things are labeled. She looks for a specific set of needles to bring to set beside Louis. Once she has the needles at hand she begins from low on Louis’ torso to insert needles into his body. The spacing and pattern of where she puts them she explains as one by one they are inserted deep into Louis and left in place. This creates a porcupine effect. 

“Each one of these can activate his body’s own cellular activities. He might have too much cellular toxicity too high for going so long with those things ravaging through his body, but if I blanket the entire path of their destruction from where the infection sites starts to where we removed them, he might have a chance. Had they gotten deep into his lungs, he’d have no chance. I think Jared had them marching from where they were released taking a path to his heart. I think he was being symbolic. Deliberately symbolic, as cruel as he could. Afterall he could have injected them, their so small, by using a common gauge needle, into anywhere. His stomach, his chest, his neck. Anyplace he injected them would be fatal once enough infection begins to set in to his body. The droid thing, the way he did this, that was for show.” 

Tony nods feeling woozy. The thought of microscopic invaders ravaging through Louis’ body like Sherman’s civil war march through the south to the sea is carnage. Carnage on two different scales, but carnage. 

They all look at the monitor that signals body temperature 106. Helen quickly looks back at what she’s doing. “Don’t give up Louis, don’t give up. We can beat this.” 

Again Tony wants to kiss her. She works fast. Soon Louis is coated in a swath of about four inches by twelve inches of needles sticking up from skin into which she has inserted them. The needles are so small there’s no blood from where they puncture skin. With the swath of polymerase containing, self-releasing needles in place, Helen moves to take a couple of standard needles which she drawls up some more drugs, two, maybe they are as benign as fever reducers. She seems pressing to move even faster because of the critical temperature and lack of time. She injects them into the IV line. Pushing Tony aside she begins to dress the incision. She seems to want to look at her work and avoid eye contact. Tony can imagine that she might be holding in the fear that this is too all a little too late.she might be too angry to look at him. 

*** 

From his lair Jared sends a message to Ironman. It’s short and simple. 

“I can’t imagine your lovely boy is still among us. Such a waste. Such a sweet, sweet piece of ass. How could you be so cruel?” 

Message sent, Jared returns to what he was doing to pass time. He’s pretty sure he’s learned everything one could ever want to know about Louis. Public information was prettty standard, managed, messaged tight. In his causal wandering through 1D history it seems that the one thing Louis loved most in his short life was his band mate Harry.

*** 

Back at Cho’s research facility everyone freezes when then hear the beep of the monitor. 

They are relieved when they see the monitor reads 105.9. Tony chances looking to Cho. 

She gives him a faint smile. “Let’s help make him as cool topically as we can. It’s working. I’m going to pull these needles out in a few minutes. They are self depensing but it is slow so I need to give it a few more minutes for it to be complete. Then I want to look at Jared’s tiny, wicked implants under a microscope.” 

The three use ice packs under wet compresses to place around flushed skin. Tony sits on a stool he sits beside Louis’ head and keeps refreshing a cold wet cloth that he tends to Louis’ face and forehead being careful to avoid bruises. Jim cleans up some discarded mess. As Helen begins to pull needles in the reverse order from which she inserted them they hear another beep. Temperature reads 105.7. Hopeful, but drained, everyone stays silent. It's when the drop in temperature reaches 105.3 that Helen asks. 

“Why the hell do you have a missing person, this is the Louis from 1D, right? The one who jumps around like Peter Pan. Did you abduct him all those moths ago? I don’t understand.” 

It takes some explanation. By the time Louis is into the temperatures of 104 range Cho is giving her opinion to Tony having heard his story. No surprise she echos Jim’s sentiment. Why would Tony not report things he discovered from the beginning, why would he take Louis to his home not Louis’, why, why, why? 

Tony’s pathetic explanation has the most strength in the unknown. Louis had “an accident” that took his memories. His vision. Who was the threat first, the perpetrator of the damage done that made Louis this, is an unknown. The fact that Jared is likely to now target Louis again is a valid concern. 

But Cho is always thinking. 

She proposes the unexpected. 

“I want to examine him again. I mean do a brain scan. Check his optic nerve, that. I think I should try to bring him back. He’s clearly had a head injury, some brain trauma. You didn’t even try to ask those men what they did to him? Weren’t you even a little curious? And why didn’t you come to me immediately?”

Probably if there was any way to envision Ironman with his tail between his legs that would describe Tony. This tiny Asian woman so adeptly cutting to the quick. What was he thinking? And for the first time perhaps ever in Tony’s life he wants to do something for someone because he loves them. 

“I can’t explain it, okay! It’s really not me being a monster like Jared. It’s not about wanting him for just a physical thing. It’s not! It’s just that when I discovered him, started following him, something in me came out. I still don’t know what it is! Is this Love? Obsession? Perverse as it may seem, I don’t know what to say, I need to touch him, feel him, please him. All I know is that I absolutely don’t want him to feel pain. I want him to live in happiness, I’d accept any fate for myself if I knew he is happy! Look at him! He’s, he’s....” 

Jim, of all people comes over to Tony and puts an arm on Tony’s shoulder. Jim finally feels that he needs to support Tony, not just freak about the innocent, misplaced boy at the center of this unreal drama. Sometimes the most wrong minded person is the most broken. Jim suspects Tony is weaker than the broken, abused boy. At least Louis knows what Love is. Or he did, from all evidence of Louis and Harry. 

Tony covers his face in anguish. 

Jim takes this as his chance to speak. “Tony. Helen should examine him. He’s here. He’s got the best chance at a normal life if there is any way she can give back some of what he’s lost.” 

Tony Stark is on his feet, sliding around in nervous agitation and crying. He nods his head “Yes” and gives the other two space staying back again a wall clearly trying to control his emotions. 

Helen is quick to take he giant luminescent donut back to the platform Louis is lying on. His temperature was continuing to lower. It seems like it began to hover around 101.5. Helen explains. 

“Don’t be alarmed that his body is holding in there at 101.5 He’s npben through a lot.” She positions her scan to focus on Louis’ head. She gets 3D maps of data from the scan appearing on one of her monitors. After collecting that data she pushed the donut away and uses a hand held light and magnifying goggles to look at Louis’ eyes which she delicately parts the lids of between each with her fingers. 

“His optic nerves are very healthy. His vision loss is all brain trauma. He might regain his sight. In fact I’m certain of it. We need to try to help him.” 

Tony shakes his head yes as he remains standing across the room. Tears are under control but he looks devastated. 

Jim asks the obvious question. “How do you get inside his skull? I mean those needles can’t go through bone can they?” 

Cho takes a preparatory breath. “No. I mean I could make them do so with another tip, but I’d rather go through the back of his mouth. And, here’s what I’m hoping. Jared’s made particles microscopic and determinantly invasive. We can assume he sent them from his droid’s thing. And they had programming to travel through this body. He’s based his tech on mine, so I should be able to make use of his modifications. Maybe.” 

Cho goes over to where the large glass specimen container sits on a lab bench. She picks it up. Looking at the collection in the jar she says. “Turn these micro monsters over for the good.” 

***

Probably the best thing Helen said to Tony was it would take her a couple days at least before she’d know how to steal Jared’s modifications of her microbot medical technology to recreate something for the good. Something for getting a healing polymerase to Louis’ damaged brain. Would it work? Cho wasn’t sure how completely. Memories lost could most likely not be rewritten. But his sight she was hopeful to restore. 

Home they went for the wait. 

Once there Tony took Louis to their bath to get a fresh Louis ready for bed. Louis would need a few days at least for full recovery. It wasn't surprising that Louis was so weak that he didn’t wake in the slightest through a bath and being put to bed. 

Tony wraps his arms around Louis pulling their bodies together, Louis nestled into his, and slept. 

Will Jared come for Louis immediately when he learns Louis survived?


	37. Chapter 37

Louis wakes. It’s the first morning Tony hasn’t had to struggle through a night of Louis thrashing and dreaming, day long much the same too. Any hope Tony had to put Louis on “a sleep schedule” seems gone. 

Any hope that Louis was ever going to be free of bruises, worn by other men, gone.

But this morning it is Louis who wakes first. Tony missed the early signs because he too is exhausted.... 

Louis rolls toward Tony in the bed and tucks himself against Tony. This wakes Tony instantly because feels so wonderful and it’s such a great sign. 

For three days following the trip to Vancouver everything with Louis had been so hard. Even after the miraculous efforts Dr Cho made to restore Louis’ body from the Jared’s microsized, invasive ravagers Louis was rather sick. He was frightened. He was confused. Tony had to be vigilant with keeping Louis comfortable while trying to help Louis process how the horrible assault could happen when Tony had sworn to Louis that he would always be safe. At times Tony wished Louis would lash out at him for the failures to protect Louis. Louis never did. He seemed to bear no grudge against Tony. It’s like he’s accepted this is his fate, to be used. Tony feared that Louis was relieved if only because at least Tony is better to him than Simon. Accepting the lesser of evils was never where Tony needs Louis to be. 

With the way Louis elects to pull himself into Tony in a lover’s cuddle there is hope. Maybe Louis understands how rare any success by a monster like Jared is. Maybe he doesn’t blame Tony even though he should. Maybe he believes Tony when Tony swears no repeat of the incident will befall him. For certain Louis knows the medical care he got was unprecedented. When the occassion arose over the past few days with Louis lucid and awake for short bits Tony tried to help Louis understand what they did in Vancouver. How the things Jared did to Louis and to two countries with tenuous relations was all the work of a crazed person. And most importantly, Tony would never allow anything like that to happen again. 

Perhaps in a few days they can even begin to return to normal. Louis discovering music; enjoying the piano, the guitar, listening to the radio. Perhaps even Tony can begin to find his way back to waking his lover as they had done before. Following lunch with another such pleasure, and of course, some more of that before bed. 

Only one fear about this is lingering in Tony’s head as he takes Louis in his arms, kissing his forehead, telling him good morning. Tomorrow is the day Helen is coming to his house to check up on Louis. Tony wishes they only had to focus on things returning to normal; Louis discovering music, enjoying piano, the guitar, listening to the radio. Bringing with her somethinngs to implement a plan. Dr Cho thinks she can treat Louis’ brain injury, perhaps restore his sight, maybe even some of that which he has forgotten would come back. 

Would Louis remember home? Harry? 

Tony wraps his arms around Louis running them along skin over curves until they settle on voluptuous ass. Cheek in each and he pulls Louis tighter to him aas Louis presses his head again one side of Tony’s chest. 

“What the hell is this thing anyway? You always where it and it seem like it’s inside you.” Louis is referring to the arc reactor imbedded in Tony’s chest. 

“It what keeps me alive. You see Louis the irony is when I was nothing more than the worst monster out there, making weapons only for money and not caring who they hurt I was a fireman of my own devices. This is what keeps me alive now. It’s a consequence. Technically it keeps metal from invading my heart.” 

Louis looks to be considering asking more. Hesitantly. 

“Not feeling like you were ever capable of being a monster like Jared.” 

With that Louis let’s a hand move to one of Tony’s nipples. A leg pushes bewteen Tony’s and he slides it up so his lucious thigh is sandwiched between Tony’s as they lay on their sides facing toward each other. Louis ghost his lips along Tony’s skin making them stop when they come to a place in Tony’s neck where he nibbles. Goosebumps rise across Tony’s skin and his dick fattens. 

After a moan Tony follows with a question. “Would you like me to eat you out, finger you while a suck you off, hum?” 

Louis says biting Tony ever somslightly under the jaw and licking the lobe of Tony’s ear before saying “would like to know the feeling of you sliding that monster cock of yours in me. Fuck me up by making me feel so good.” 

Tony may have made a growling noise. Maybe not. In his head he just heard the carnal need resonate that Louis’ request made him feel. 

He pushes Louis away and over, parts his legs and get bewteen them. Louis makes himself so his legs are wide, he tilts his bum so his back side has this astonishing curve, a perfection and then he says, “Please, just one time, want to feel loved when getting fucked.” 

Tony crawls over Louis and takes his still battered face gently to turn slightly to side so they can kiss. He kisses Louis deep and passionately. When done he moves back down and prefaces pulling cheeks aside with one short, definitive assertion. “You will one day believe that you have always been loved.” 

With that Tony takes delight in doing this. His licking into Louis begins with all the tenderness. Tickling licks on a really pretty, pink, unmolested looking hole. Nibbles on surrounding skin with some sucking teases along side too where only a few reminants of recent abuse remain. Lavishly tongue-fucking in prep for the first tip of finger. Than with lube using fingers for prepping but not without finding that bundle of nerves for teasingly brushing against rather enjoying how all this has Louis worked into a lather. He’s rutting his cock under him, he mewing, he’s panting, he’s pleading for dick. He’s perfect. 

When Tony finally give in that is going to be his first he’s touting a raging erection. He finds that putting his hand on it to rub around some lube as he sits back heels on knees for a second makes his body want to cum now in his hand just by looking down at Louis. Louis who is still arched like he wants to so bad his cock is hurting too. And he’s still pleading. 

“Please, please, this time Tony, please don’t stop, fuck me like you love me.” 

Tony being his body forward over the body under him and with his knob pressing at Louis’ hole he pants words between pressing a little there and some lips, his on Louis, “I, I, I.” 

Breaking into the muscle rim Tony chokes. His head wants to ram in its so sensational. He hesitates there. He feels it’s almost like he could come with his cock buried no more that at the door to Louis’ sweet hole. 

He brings his lips to kiss Louis again who strains to arch and twist back around for the kiss. 

Breaking the kiss Tony pushes in a little farther. 

“Pleeeasse” Louis says in a whispy, breathy voice, “please fuck me like I matter!” 

Tony begins bobbing into Louis with shallow, slow plunges playing at working Louis so gently there’s no chance of making him feel strain. It’s amazing how much his hole has stretched to engulf Tony. His body is so sleek, curvy and small and so insane the way he takes cock so beautifully. Seeing him like this Tony wonders why anyone would even want to hurt him. Tony also finds that he has to keep his hands on either Louis’ plump bum or narrow waist because Louis is rolling his hips like he wants to push back, taking Tony in deep, taking all of him. 

A painful momentary recall of the way it looked when that machine pressed bead after bead into Louis makes Tony hold back. Is he sure they should be doing this so soon? 

Pulling Louis with an arm Tony slides around under Louis’ waist he brings Louis up and back as he pulls them both upright so with his dick still impaling half it’s length they into his lover as they are both upright, on their knees together, Louis back to Tony’s chest, Tony turning Louis’ face again to kiss making them both take a pause from pushing on. 

“Pretty thing you are, so so pretty.” Tony says peppering Louis’ shoulders with kisses. “Pretty sure the life before you lost your memory was all about people wanting to please you, you, your love is what to them matters most.” 

Tony says this as he kisses Louis’ shoulder and neck. One hand reaches for Louis cock and pumps it. Tony wants to be clear about how desirable Louis is putting aside the image Simon promoted so if Louis’ memories come back he knows with Tony there was at least what honesty there could be. 

Pulling out of Louis momentarily Tony places Louis on their bed back down. “I want to see you face as I’m doing this. I want to see how,if I’m pleasing you.” 

Louis hands fell around to find Tony’s body. He wants to find something. Taking cock as a Tony is positioning he puts Tony at ease. “This was pleasing me immensely, but if you would just put the entire immensity of this in, I could do with a proper dicking. Please. Fuck the cum right out of me, please.” 

There’s a demanding tone to the way Louis speaks. And with his delicate hand putting Tony’s dick into his hole it’s all just too adorable. 

“Proper dicking? Are we saying we need a proper dicking? I don’t think I’ve ever been asked for that quite like that before. So if we’re going to be proper, no coming on by dick before I say so. Just to be proper and all.” 

Louis smiles and he shivers. He likes this challenge. He also can’t decide what he likes in his hands because following giving Tony’s cock a star into him his hands are seeming to need to take in some of everything. As Tony makes more cautionary, shallow trust starting off those hands find ass and contently grab on there. He takes each stoke with an arching rythem to compliment Tony’s movement. It’s sexy and irritating at once because it puts extra friction on a Tony’s dick pleasing Tony almost too much. 

Before long both men are drenched in sweating and breathing heavily. 

“Tony?” Louis says his thighs shaking. 

“No, not yet.” 

“Tony!” More shaking. 

“No, no coming yet!” 

“TONY!” 

And that’s it. Louis loooses it. He begins to stripe himself on every inward stroke as Tony fucks into him hard and deep. It’s an instant into this before Louis’ rhythmic clenching begins to pull Tony’s orgasm with his. Tony filling him deep with what feels like fire from the heat of it. 

Finally collapsing on the spent body under him Tony begins to regain awareness. When he's just about to say something to Louis about his love for him the voice of Jarvis alerts Tony. 

Jim has just returned from Vancouver with Dr Cho. 

Did Tony get the days confused?


	38. Chapter 38

Finding something to throw on Tony hoped his wet look would come across as just showered but it was obvious from Jim’s eye roll followed by head shake that Tony was not hiding a thing. Jim was used to Tony being beside with Louis from the minute they got back from Cho’s lab so they were in the hall heading to Tony’s room before Tony could intercept them in a prepared attire. 

Hoping to create time enough to clean Louis up Tony says, “Oh hey, you’re earlier than I expected, why don’t you wait a bit, he’s just fallen asleep.”

Cho gives him a weird look like she catches the scent of sex on him just before she says as she is striding along with Jim, “It’s okay I’ ll just put him under anyway.”

Usually Louis does fall asleep after he’s been satisfied and this is the most satisfied Tony thinks he’s made Louis so it’s a surprise when Louis blurts out a remark upon hearing the door open. Clearly he didn’t realize it was not Tony coming back to the bedroom alone based on what he says.

“Better come back to bed and fuck me again, I seem to be getting hard just thinking about how great that big dick of yours feels in me.”

Embarrassing somehow doesn’t describe it. 

Louis is lying there still uncovered because he’s still hot. He’s also still a streaked mess and in his hand is a new erection he’s working up. The look of him is sort of like a prince wanting to be pleased. His hair has maximum pixie effect because the sex sweat is styling it in a pretty, adorable bed-head mess. At least the home-erotic art which once adorned the wall isnt there anymore but this is still a hopeless loss of dignity for Tony.

Tony swoops over to the bed covering Louis as he says, “Ah, Louis, so guess you didn’t hear Jarvis a minute ago when his comment sent me running out,”

Louis smiles and finds Tony face which he caresss with one hand while the other continues, obviously even under the blanket, wanking himself. “No silly, when you fuck that good it causes temporary hearing loss. Do it again please.”

Jim speaks up. “Louis, I’m back from Vancouver with Dr. Cho.” 

Louis doesn’t seem to worried about appearances. Not enough to stop playing with himself. Or to remove his hand from Tony’s face.

Cho speaks. She must have decided to push through this. Afterall everything about it is so weird anyway. “Louis I’m Dr Cho, Helen, I’m here to examine you and hopefully, if you’re okay with trying it, I’m going to try to treat your brain trauma. We met a few days ago but you weren’t really conscious. It’s nice to see you are feeling...vigorous.”

It’s true. It’s remarkable actually. A few days ago in Vancouver Tony brought Helen up to speed on how he got Louis. Who he got Louis from. The fact Louis was living as a sex slave for months. Helen has had few days to process the wild story of Louis’ situation before being brought to her for treatment after the assault by Jared. Seeing Louis acting like he’s strictly a sexual thing is in keeping with her understanding of victims of sexual abuse. The biggest challenge for Cho is just figuring out justification for Tony’s behavior which is wrapped in his new found sexual orientation. 

Tony interjects. “How about I get Louis cleaned up and after you can explain to him the approach you’re using to help him.”

It’s agreed upon. While they shower it will give Helen a chance to get her things organized though she didn’t need to bring much because she knew what she is going do and the hardest part was done back at her labs when she made her newly specialized needles using an approach she lifted from Jared’s evil one.

With Tony taking Louis to the shower his promise was to be quick. However, once in the roomy shower with water activating the scent of sex on them Louis started with an idea of his own.

“Wouldn’t another quick fuck be nice, just for luck?”

Louis turns his back to Tony and pushes his bum into Tony. He’s still maintaining a nice stiffness and the way he asked with some pouting to his tone makes him all too adorable. 

Tony pushes Louis into the wall in front of him which has Louis putting his arms up on the wall for support and bending down pushing his bum back again making the contact between them firm. It’s impossible for Tony’s body to not respond. His cock stiffens. He moves in tighter against Louis pushing Louis to stand straight so Louis can’t be so prettily and temptingly bent forward but as Louis rubs his ass against Tony’s body saying, “Please, one quick dicking, for luck, in case I wake tomorrow with sight to you as another old bloke and I don’t want to be touched by you.”

Teasing is getting to Tony. His cock is ready to go again from it. Louis says, “Please” sounding needy with desire and that’s all it takes.

Tony pulls one of Louis’ legs up by hooking it under the crook of his elbow. He growls “oil” to suggest Louis take some bath oil that is in reach of where Louis is pressed standing with one leg hiked up against the shower wall. Spilling it everywhere as Tony tires to manage it with one hand after Louis passes it to him Tony quickly gets to placing his dick starting into Louis. 

Louis’ rim is still loose, easy for his dick to enter but the feel in him is new again. Maybe it’s because Louis is so easy to manage like this. So willing to take all of Tony in one long slide. 

Obscenities leave Louis mouth as quickly as Tony begins to fuck up into him fast and hard. Louis is loving it. Tony is struck mute. Tony’s upward trusts push Louis up the shower wall. Tony thinks he hears some whimpers, but he knows he hears “more, fuck me more” between the fainter noises. Tony just becomes convinced he can do this forever even though it feels too good because he’s come so recently. That, he hopes, gives him stamina; he wants to finish Louis first before he comes.

Apparently stamina is not on Tony’s side today. Louis says “Finish in me mouth,” and that’s all it takes. Tony is filling Louis with his fire. He’s screaming so loud he sure that if the duration of the shower isn’t a give away that they are fucking again, the sounds are. When Tony’s dick slips out on his own slick, he releases Louis’ leg, he drops to his knees and turns his boy to face him finishing Louis in his mouth instead. Words can’t describe how much his loves this boy. He engulfs all of Louis into his mouth Louis penis going so deep in his throat that he has no air to sustain himself if this takes long. He grips Louis’ beautiful bum, it filling both hands, bringing Louis’ pelvis tight to his face so he can keep Louis steadied there as he uses throat muscles to constrict. This brings Louis to orgasm fast with Louis seeming to flail his arms a bit to get a grip to stay standing as clearly his legs want to give out. 

Will Cho’s efforts ruin a future of more like this?


	39. Chapter 39

For a few days following Cho’s polymerase treatment Tony and Louis followed a simple routine. Pretty much it was a daily routine of sex three times a day, sometimes four, going to the beach and Louis playing with his guitar of the piano while they waited to see if the polymerase that Cho believed reached the dameaged region of Louis’ brain was effective in restoring any function to comprimised neurological cells.

She’d given no guarantees about how much recovery could result. She felt hopeful there would be at least some. 

With Louis still in darkness for three days, Tony had considerable time to ride an emotional rollercoaster of opposing wishes. 

On one hand Tony wished complete restoration of Louis’ sight and his recall of self. How could he not? The person he fell in love with was a person he admired from afar for the playful, sassy, sweet person he was in band, and in love with Harry. Despite Louis being in love with someone else Tony knew Louis deserved his identity and his life back. And most of all, Louis, the Louis from One Direction and sunshine personified, deserved a world that isn’t just total darkness. 

On the other hand, Tony wanted Louis to be his to keep forever. It was a dream of that, them sharing a life together, from which Tony was awakened by a soft touch on his shoulder. Rolling over in bed to face Louis as the first light of day is breaking Tony finds he’s face to face with a newly animated pixie. Louis’ face looks expressive more than usual, his eyes look bright with a different, indescribable quality in them.

He’s smiling. It’s a different smile than Tony has ever seen. It’s the most genuine, beautiful thing.

“Louis?”

“It’s getting light! Tony it’s daybreak, I can see daylight!”

Tony takes Louis’ face with hands on each side, thumbs brushing skin, lips finding lips for a quick kiss before Tony searches Louis’ excited face for more. 

“You see daybreak, can you see me? Look at me, can you see my eyes?”

Louis begins to run his hands over Tony’s body, finding a way to make them come together closer, pelvis to pelvis while he shakes his head “no”.

“I’m only seeing what is like being in a thick fog. I feel you but I don’t see you, no shape even. Its all just shade of grey changing with the light.”

Louis wraps his arms around Tony with his head tucking into Tony’s neck. Tony feels tears hitting skin as Louis continues, “but I see light! I’m so happy! It’s so amazing to be out of the dark! I’m so happy.”

Louis begins to kiss Tony and rutting himself into Tony. His hands can’t find one place to stay because he’s filled with this excitement. This is how Tony finds himself csrrying Louis to a spot outside because after frenzy of need Louis announces he wants to have sex outside where he can follow the full rising of the sun as they have sex. Tony finds he has to remind Louis, limited returning sight or not, don’t look at the sun. It’s still unsafe. In his heart Tony hopes this miracle is continuing. He will protect Louis from zealous foolishness as they discover how this goes.

Protect him, and propride whatever Louis needs. Right now Louis wants a good dicking. 

*** 

Following the first day free from darkness more sight returns. First it was awareness of light but a dense fog-like perspective. Slowly the awareness of light sharpened. Next it was a return of objects and forms but they were undefined. Finally, it was a steady increase in definition of what Louis could see. Ironically it is the day of their one month anniversary of when Tony first brought Louis home when Louis has woken with a fully restored, detailed vision. 

Tony is laying with Louis under him after a long session of morning sex celebrating the excitement generated by detailed vision. After staring into each other’s eyes with an energy to seeking something deeper about each other they reluctantly pull apart, still sweaty. This is whenTony asks Louis for a date. Tony tells Louis how he wants to plan a very special evening, because of their one month anniversary. As he proposes this Tony is taking the delicate brackets and anklets off Louis. Tony gives up no hints of “surprise details” as he and removes sensors, wrists first, ankles last. With each “defrolicing”, Tony stops talking and kisses the limb for its freedom in a celebration. Louis giggles at the over-play. Louis no longer needed them at all the day before it’s just neither had moved to take them off because of sentiment. 

“It will feel weird to not wear them. They are like a part of me in a way. And a reminder that I’m yours.” Louis is saying. He sounds truly sad in a way. Like he wants to be marked with some claim by Tony. 

With the last sensor removed from an ankle, Tony begins kissing his way up Louis’ leg. He stops to suck little marks into skin making them gentle enough that they will fade soon without lingering bruising skin which has been flawless, like it should always be. Or so Tony thinks after seeing too many marks left on this boy by the abuse of others. Louis is reclined back on a pile of pillows, his legs splayed wide, something sinful and beautiful about his natural seductive way of laying while Tony does this. 

“Would you like to be mine, Louis. Like forever?” 

It’s an unfair question. Selfish. Tony knows what Louis doesn’t. This is not his. Louis is Harry’s. 

Louis doesn’t know this. He does an epic Tommo eye roll and says, “Well of course silly. What else would I be, I mean I’m really only good at...” 

Tony rushes to stop the next word with a finger over lips than a kiss on them. He feels the words leave Louis’ brain as because of the quality of the kiss. Louis wiggles himself into Tony. He seems to want to have Tony do him again because Tony feels the little rise in Louis’ penis which is between their pressed forms. 

Tony clarifies the conditions. 

“We may have adjusted over time with the ‘touching Louis rule’, but we will always retain the rules regarding what you are good at, the meaningless of what Simon told you. The lies, the lies he put in your head. They are manipulations he and Paul created so they could use you. I was hoping your memories would come back, at least such that you could know yourself. Know what we’re their lies, what is the truth. Cho thinks still thinks your recall may return. In small disjointed pieces, she said, more feelings about things than maybe concrete experiences. Until they do, or if they never do, you will have to trust me. I promise Simon was nothing. He is cruel and sadistic. Personally, I’d like to know what happened to you to do this to you. More and more I’m convinced he may have had a direct hand in it.” 

*** 

Throughout the day Louis pesters Tony. “What’s the surprise?”, “Are we doing something new?”, “If I like the surprise do we get to do it again?” 

When the front door beep sounds Tony is caught with his pants down, literally off as he’s had a very persistent Louis peppering him with questions, preventing him from undertaking surprise plans so he was unaware of time. He leaves Louis where they were, outside by the pool, Louis on a pile of pillows, red lipped, glistening, and somewhat a mess of both their come. “I got to get the door, you should put something on, or maybe shower again. You’re a mess. There’s, um, in your hair...so maybe make yourself respectable.” 

Wearing a white, plush terry robe Tony goes to receive at the door. It’s a large catering crew. They’ve arrived to deliver a banquets worth of appetizers and tapas. This group’s has been to Tony’s home before. They know what is available, several types of ovens, multiple places for cool food storage or warm food holding. They enter and get to work. What is different about this event is they are to set everything up for serving in an hour but Mr Stark wanted no servers to stay to circulate food or beverages. It only wants the food dropped and the crew to leave. It’s a very private party for a guest list of about 8-10. 

Some of the women familiar with Stark do their subtle flirting. More than usual they get no reception. Once the food is put in place, Tony sees them out. He sprints through the house to the master bath. He too needs to look presentable in about an hour. 

Louis is fully pouting when Tony tells him to wait for a call before coming downstairs. “I told you I have a surprise. Patience sweet creature, patience.” 

Tony goes downstairs and momentarily Jim and Helen arrive. Jim having gone to get Helen and bring her to this celebration. She’s very excited to see Louis. She also advocates that she’s like to scan his brain again. See if he’s platoed or if he’s gaining more recovery. 

Coming up the drive by himself is Banner. He’s humorously looking unremarkablely not eye catching for being a personality so big at least in his other form. Always subtle Banner is also direct. “Nice mysterious invite. Kinda built the stage for something with all you’re recent silence over the past few weeks. Hiding something are we?” 

The four of them walk in and Tony begins offering drinks as food is sat out around for a casual, fine eatery experience. The front door was left wide open and the next to walk in is Steve Rogers. He too makes a comment about Tony’s month-long, unusual silence and the mysterious invite. He mentions how concerning this was particularly with the incident involving a threat name of a Jared and monkeying with China. 

Last to arrive, coming together like the good friends do so frequently, is Hawk and Natasha. Natasha follows the ice braking greeting with a turn to get close to Bruce. Always now an item but always not so independent this relationship is one quite uniques and not like any others. 

Once everyone has the time for their reunion small chat, a drink in hand, a plate perhaps of delicious nibbles Tony begins. 

“Everyone here is by now not to be surprised when I come up with something new. Seems like this is a pattern that is at least expected. You know me for my intelligence, my competitiveness, my enguiniuty. And as some of you know, and are justifiably quick to point out, I also have a large assortments of character flaws. For the record I’m hoping you all know I’m too stuborn to really turn over a new leaf and begin finding my inner good.” 

Tony pauses to access faces. It’s clear to his friends this is not about the usual Stark techno stuff. He pauses and then goes on. 

“Also for the record, this is about one particular character flaw that has been put behind me. You know it’s that sometimes you like somebody, and then you meet them, they get into the core of you, your heart...” 

Another pause and seems that most of the faces looking at Tony are riveted. This is personal. Tony’s hinting non too suddenly about his heart. He’s in love. If Banner, perhaps Tony’s closet friend and the others were to loose around at each other they’d see how Jim and Helen were looking a little less on edge. All eyes stay on Tony. 

“It’s a funny thing, a heart, really. We all know that mine has never been a particularly good one. Not even before the bits of metal began their march that we know only this device I wear keeps protected. That aside my heart was never whole. Never right never open, never in love.” 

Natasha finds this nearly too exciting. She’s had her doubts that she has ever been a whole person too. Now with Bruce she has something, a happiness. She wants this for Tony too. She jumps to her feet and rushes to Tony to hug him. 

“Tony are you all nervous and mysterious because this is Love? This is the cutest thing ever...and I don’t do cute, as a thought. But you’re blushing. Did you bring us here to have us meet someone special?” 

It’s a weird head nod. More a side to side than a certain, confident straight out Tony Stark sort of confirmation. 

“Yes. Yes. Yes. I am planning to introduce you to my someone special. But it’s complicated. I’m and Helen have already met with us here. Not for the best of reasons, until recently, you would have been meeting a person who was totally blind and had no memories of self. Thanks to Helen, Jim’s assist, sight is back. Memories still a loss. You won’t be known for your Avengers skills. You’ll simply be my friends. Bruce, Natasha, Hawk, Steve, Jim and Helen. That’s how I’ve labeled you.” 

Tony pauses. He’s preparing to call Louis. “I think this will be a transformative meeting for all of us, maybe perhaps labels, labels will mean less. Tony Stark Billionaire, Tony Stark Entrepreneur, weapon manufacturer, Avenger, womanizer... Jarvis would you invit my guest to come down please.” 

Smiles are broad on the faces of the clueless four. Jim and Helen are smiling too but looking at their friends for reactions. When the small form come into view Tony rushes to take Louis’ hand. 

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Louis, Louis Tomlinson. Louis this is everyone. Well mostly. Thor isn’t here. But this is Bruce, Natasha, Hawkeye, Steve and you know Helen and Jim already.” 

Tony puts his arm around the waist of this massive surprise. Tomlinson. A pop star who’s been missing for a year. Rumored dead, perhaps as widely speculated by the paps at his band mate’s hands in some secret lover’s quarrel. 

In person he’s prettier than one could imagine. His features delicate ad chiseled. His stature is small and he seems a weird mix of things. Dressed in a tightly, buttoned up short sleeve shirt, his small waist and slight upper body type is defined. His arms are muscular but lithe. He has on tight jeans that accentuate his legs, thighs firm and shapely. In Tony’s arm he looks the perfect pixie. A pretty boy. Perhaps almost too much so. Tony looks pleased, relieved perhaps for getting this out. 

Louis looks questioning. He’s surprised probably. Mostly he looks hesitant. In the seconds of awkward silence he turns to look up at Tony his arms seeking Tony like he’s afraid and seeking protection. “The surprise is the promise I’d meet your friends?” 

Tony turns with his hands going to Louis’ hips holding him close which adds to everything about all of this. Womanizer Ironman in love with famous missing person, gay pop star Louis Tomlinson. “Yes, and it’s more a surprise for them than you can imagine because of the whole Tony is-gay-thing.” 

Tony places a gentle kiss on Louis then turns their bodies back to face together the stunned, mute group with his arm going around Louis’ waist again protectively. “Look we have more to add here, like how Louis was with someone before I found him, living with months of abuse, we haven’t begun to address who he is, what life he has outside of here. With Helen’s help, we’re hoping Louis is finally piecing things together. Today we are celebrating. Celebrating his restored vision, and the future. I wanted to fulfill one of my promises for the future. One I made to him when I brought him here a month ago. Before then Louis was kept in isolation. No memories of himself. He’s been through a lot. He’s wanted, and I promised he could, to meet friends of mine. It’s our anniversary, one month since I took him from his abusers. I’d like your help to celebrate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel like commenting? Please be brave.


	40. Chapter 40

After a welcoming toast, most likely the most awkward toast of Avengers history, the business of being acquainted with Tony’s new lover began. 

Natasha was first to sweep in. Jim and Helen seasoned to the odd situation and familiar with Louis, were next. Compassionate and committed Hawk, Banner and Steve welcomed Louis too. Seeing how this was a little overwhelming for Louis they all slipped away after brief warm introduction to wait for signs of better approach, maybe not as all as one swamping him. One or two of them eventually settled in with Louis in a natural kind of rotation each of them keeping their comments in check as Tony and Jim circulated in whispers how Louis hasn’t remembered his family or the band, he’s has a misguided idea of himself, for the most part believing he was a boy prostitute. 

It was Natasha that Louis developed an immediate, obvious bond with. This was as Tony expected because of their shared smartly, sassy side. Also maybe because Louis had always been a brother to sisters this interaction felt natural to him. At least that was Cho’s suggestion as she watched Louis and Natasha. 

Saying to Tony privately as she watched the two Cho says, “See this is how I think his self identity will restore. I don’t think he’ll wake one day and remember what he’s lost. I think he’ll get feelings, impressions. Like with Natasha. He has an innate way of comfort, ease with her, like she is a sister. I made myself a little familiar with his life after you brought him to Vancouver. He was apparently a very a devoted son and deeply committed brother to his younger sisters, four of them. He was also fiercely protective of his family, loved ones. Look at him and Natasha, it’s like they’ve known each other forever. She’s laughing a lot, his body language is relaxed. For people who just met that’s pretty unique. I believe he feels a natural affinity to young women like a brother would.”

Before Cho drifted away yielding the one on one with Tony to Banner she made one last comment. “You surprise me Tony. Not in that who-you-find-attractive surprise, but this. Giving him this is a big move. Normalcy is what he needs. It’s what sets him free.” 

Cho’s suggestion was not lost on Tony. Each step of independence takes Louis potentially one step closer to completely away from Tony. As Banner slips in beside Tony taking to watching Natasha and Louis. Tony nods to Cho as she parts. She’s right. It’s a risk. But then Tony prompts Bruce, expecting the worse. 

“Well Dr Banner, your thoughts. Welcomed, critical or not.” 

Bruce smiles as he continues to watch the two of interests. “First, this is a total surprise. I really would have bet if one of our own was gay, statically our numbers support that as inevitable, I would put my money on Rogers. Guess I could see the devotion to Bucky thing as a hidden lover’s thing. Something maybe neither recognized. But you, you are a total surprise.” 

“About Louis per se, okay so Nat and I talked about it before she sat down with him. She’s a fan of him already, don’t mean just his work in the band, she said his so small and adorable in real life she thinks he could fit in Thor’s pocket.” 

Then Banner adds in dry, dead pan humor, “Oh, and that if you’re ever off on business and you want a sitter, we’re available or if you need to have a guardian lined up in case, you know since we can’t have kids together...” 

Tony takes the rub. “Okay, okay, I know he’s less than half my age. The creepiness of this is not lost on me. It’s just that I love him so much, I really do. At first Bruce I thought this was an obsession. Now I know it’s much deeper than that. I want to give him back all of what he had as he wants it. I want to see him happy. In love. I want that with me but don’t think I underestimate where he was. Clearly he was in a relationship. One that must have had its struggles to keep hidden. Was it a choice? Was it a mandate? I don’t know. But whatever he needs, I’ll do for him.” 

Bruce turns to Tony and puts a hand on Tony’s shoulder to grip it as he looks deep into Tony’s eyes to read the soul of his friend. “This is the surprise really. This. This Stark in love. There’s a side to you where I could see you being into sex with whomever because someone is beautiful and gender wouldn’t matter. But the real surprise is this heart of yours. Good to know you have one.” 

Bruce pats his friend on the back a few times and heads over to sit with Louis. Hawk has moved into the couch to sit beside Louis too and as Bruce approached Natasha gets up to give him a vacant spot. As they pass she leans into her lover and whispers in Bruce’s ear, “So, so sweet, I really do want to put him in a pocket for safe keeping.” 

Bruce makes her laugh when he says, “Funny that, I already put in our adoption request with Tony.” 

Next it was Steve who took a turn at Tony’s side. 

“Never ceases to amaze me the generational differences of the culture of the modern world.” 

Steve turns to face Tony for what Tony is certain is a righteous diatribe on the offenses of homosexuality. 

“As amazing as the new reality is this thing most amazing is this deeply in love person I see before me. Could never see a world, yesterday’s, today’s or tomorrow’s where this would happen. Tony in love. Committed. I’m happy for you, truly happy for you.” 

Tony could have been knocked over with a feather. Steve Rogers, Captain Morality, was accepting that love is love. Right out of The Harry Styles’ Play Book. This makes tears well up in Tony’s eyes. The two hug. 

When they separate and look to where Louis was sitting flanked by Hawkeye and Banner they see the three are moving from the couch to the pool table located off on a far corner of the massive main living floor. It seems some playful, challenging banter has begun between Hawkeye and Louis. And now they are-going to play a game of billiards. 

This game is quickly sexy as shit for Tony to watch. Louis is delighted with the challenge. He’s at his snarkiest, sassiest best trash talking Hawkeye in his thick Yorkshire accent. Adding to the appeal Louis is frequently presenting himself like one must in playing pool, so he’s bending over. Being in the tightest pair of jeans he owns, each bend is making Tony slip into that need of what he can’t control. Lust. 

Tony wants to send everyone home immediately, strip Louis and fuck him right there on the pool table. The game goes on. Eventually Hawk makes a move for his next shot that’s likely to finish the game. Everyone other than Steve and Tony are standing around the table nearby engaging in revelry. Hawkeye sets up for taking his shot. Before Hawkeye drives the ball Natasha goes by behind him to blow a soft breath along the back of Hawkeye’s neck which makes him send the ball completely off course. 

Louis is in a hysteria of giggles immediately. He’s certain he’s got a chance now. And he lays on more smack talk while giving a wink to Natasha for throwing him redemption. 

“Hey, I call fowl. She made me do that!” Hawkeye says with everyone still laughing at his expense. 

Louis didn’t miss a beat in being his true, pre-accident self. “Oh sure, so you’re saying I can’t win unless you’re cheated out of victory?” 

Hawkeye stood up straight and spoke with great honesty. “No actually. I’ve been thinking how much you’re really good at trajectories. I think you’re be an amazingly gifted archer.” 

Louis is surprised but the sincere complement. “Seriously, you do? You think I could be good at archery?” 

Hawk walks over to him and puts an arm over his shoulders. “Yeah, I do. If you like I could come by, bring some gear, and give you some lessons. Promise. It’s be fun.” 

“That would truly be massive fun. Thanks.” With that Louis turns to the table and puts the remaining balls in the holes with one perfect strike. He then turns around to Hawkeye and says cheekily. “Promise is a promise.” 

Everyone is laughing again at Hawkeye as turns away defeated though clearly happy being beaten by this pixie. Upon his turn he whispers to Natasha, “So after the adoption he’s getting spanked by uncle Hawkeye.” 

Tony is in earshot. 

“I beg your pardon. Spanking is off the table for the likes of you.” He says with growl. 

Louis sits down again where he’s engaged but Steve who brings him a plate of tapas and appetizers like Steve, once a small person needed to nurture Louis. Steve conversation is heard by others who hang back respecting this conversation as a private telling Louis of his experience. Being a man out of time. A man for decades in the ice. It’s pretty sweet the way Steve gives Louis context and hope. 

After a bit everyone is sitting together in a large assortment of comfy, overstuffed chairs. This is when it begins. Louis creeps closer and closer to Tony ending up nearly in Tony’s lap. One arm drapes a hand over Tony’s thigh. From there it slowly moves to the inside of one of Tony’s thigh. This accentuates how smol and petite everything about Louis is. The hand looks so delicate with its placement so intimate on Tony’s muscular thigh. 

Lively conversation gives Louis a view of what the relationship with this team is like. From what the others can tell by Louis’ behavior he is very happy in his new environment. They each study him in turn when he’s distracted in a conversation with one among them. Often they have to stop when they realize their study of Louis is being studied by Tony who is clearly still seeking their approval. Sometimes for no reason whatsoever Tony pulls Louis into him and puts a kiss on the side of Louis’ head like an unspoken proclamation of his determination, “I’m keeping this, him.”

Increasing fidgeting from Louis has Tony whispering so as to not interrupt a debate between Steve and Bruce, “Louis, you’re so hyper. Is everything okay?” 

“M’okay, little headache.” 

What Louis says makes everyone stop to look at Louis with Cho jumping on the remark. 

“Headache? You have a headache? Are you drinking plenty of water?” 

“Yes, and a Shirley Temple. Isn’t that right?” Louis says pointing to his empty drink. 

This is when it’s discovered two drinks that looked alike got mistaken by Louis. 

“Wait, Louis did you drink that after the pool game?” Natasha asks pointing to a certain glass. “That where I set down my drink. It had two shots of vodka.” 

Cho furrows her brows. “Louis any alcohol right now is very bad for you. I’d like you to take three adult aspirin with lots of water and get some sleep. Closing your eyes will help the aspirin work faster.” 

Louis looks a little scared. Tony signs for everyone to be low-key. He tells everyone he’s going to take a Louis upstairs, pulls Louis up from the couch, announces he will be back down soon as they head upstairs. 

With Louis and Tony out of the room the group begins talking, finally getting to fully share their impressions and concerns.

Tony coming out is not an issue. If anything it’s a relief. What everyone was quick to want to know was every detail Jim knew as he was with Tony and Louis for more than just a few days of the recent weeks. Jim of course edited as much as he could. Sex. So much sex. Jim tried to not b e graphic. They also wanted know what Cho concluded from her work to treat Louis. Hearing even the discrete suggestion about Jared’s assault had everyone chilled. About twenty minutes into the discussion they had a clear idea where things stood. 

Minutes continue ticking by. It became nearly an hour with the small group becoming more and more aware of time. What was taking Tony so long? 

Everyone looks to Jim after it’s apparent Tony is taking unusually long. Does he think Tony is ever going to come back down? 

Before Jim can think how to not say what’s in his mind, that the two probably has to “do it” before Tony could rejoin them, down the stairs comes Tony. He’s changed. He looks... 

Like he was just finished having hot sex. 

“What?” Tony says as the group stares at him with disbelief, excluding Jim. He’s literally seen it all. Jim is only knowingly shaking his head. 

“Really?” Jim says with slight exasperation. 

“What? He was having a hard time going to sleep. I just stayed to help him a little.” 

“Uh hum. We know. To ‘h e l p’ him. That’s why it looks like you’ve changed, because you wrinkled your clothes by helping Louis to ‘s l e e p’.” 

Tony grabs a drink and sits with them. Interrogations begin. What the hell is Tony going to do? They ask.

Tony doesn’t have all the answers. He knows he’s taken Louis to the wrong place. When his friends learn it was 1D creator Simon Cowel who had the missing Louis all this time they are surprised, not shocked. 

Appalled, not surprised. 

Anyone who ever watched the shows which elevated Simon Cowell as a force on the backs of young hopefuls could see his secrets. An intelligent person had to only open their eyes. 

So what is next? While Tony was upstairs helping Louis “get to bed” Jim and Helen filled the others in on some of the Jared effect. So what now? It is clear what Jared will do next? 

*** 

From a curiously unmarked paper invite Harry is suggested to attend a meeting at management. 

It gives a time and date. The unusual form of impromptu ask from management only suggest the meeting is regarding “something the band is looking for”.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This picks up two days after the previous chapter but then it rolls back to the night the Avengers are there (chapter 40) after Louis went to bed with a headache. This chapter then concludes with the unfolding where it opened, terminating on the morning of a meeting scheduled in which 1D will unknowingly reunite with something they are “looking for”.
> 
> (Oh, and posting with out much editing....typos ....)
> 
> *****

Two days ago Louis met Tony’s closest friends.

Like the day after that transformative event Louis wakes from a night having had great sex, feeling loved, cherished and safe. He finds Tony is out of bed already without the morning routine, apparently Tony is down stairs. Louis rolls to the edge of the bed and he sees the Greenbay Packers hoodie lying on the floor. He picks it up and pulls it on over his naked form. Something tells him he should wash, he feels last night’s remains lingering on him here and there. But he wants only to see Tony at first light. He loves the light. Since his vision returned they are making every sunset, every sunrise, for Louis to gently discover.

Louis walks down the stairs with his bare feet making not a sound. He goes to find the yet unaware Tony in the kitchen. The house smells of tea and cinnamon rolls. Tony may have been bringing these to Louis in bed. Waiting until Tony pulls the rolls from the over before putting a hand on Tony’s shoulder. Louis whispers “love”. The touch like the voice is soft, so soft it gives Tony a startle because Tony is frot with wrorriesome thoughts he hoped to conceal before Louis woke.

Turning Tony around looks at Louis. Sleepy-eyed, hair a mess, soft. Louis’ lips look still stained with from sex they had which ended only hours ago as it was a long night of it.

Tony puts his arms around Louis’ waist pulling Louis off his feet as he brings Louis into him. Tony’s hands slide down finding a voluptuous bum is bare under a hoodie that easily rides up. Gripping the boy’s ass he kisses Louis deep making it so desperate that both find they end in breathlessness.

They stare a penetrating stare into each other’s eyes. It’s held for a few seconds then Tony lifts Louis completely up, placing him on a central counter one that serves as a bar style eating place. Once he lays Louis there Tony’s hands find their way under the hoodie seeking favorite places to grope. There’s a nipple found which Tony twists. Louis arches and moans. This makes Tony push the hoodie up so it’s bunched up.out of the way so he can have Louis mostly exposed. Tony begins to suck on the nipple resulting in making Louis arch his back more, more moaning too.The nip-suck terminates with Tony biting skin before Tony slowly licks and sucks down from there. 

Reaching lower ab, Tony’s face presses into the tiny softness of Louis’ belly. The little pooch between belly button and pretty penis summons him often. The skin there always seems most tender. He kisses it. Licks the skin then blows on it to make tickles vibrate before his tongue licks into that sensitive divot where leg meets pelvis. All the while Louis moans and arches laid out for the taking on an expensive stainless steel, counter like he’s meant for the taking. Tony gives up the heat he wants form Louis’ pelvis choosing to kiss his lover’s lips for a long passionate minute or two. Maybe three. 

Through this all Louis is squirming. His back arches, he grabs Tony’s face and says “no” but it’s the no that means “not this much so soon” because Tony has Louis hard with ease. Louis maybe doesn’t want to have Tony find him so easy like this. If Tony goes down, he’ll know the truth. Louis can’t resist him.

“No,no, no...” Louis says as Tony drops his attention down. 

Seeing Louis so erect Tony takes penis in hand. Louis writhes around on the counter again. He is so sensitive to the slightest of touch. Tony’s mouth sinks on him. That has Louis dropping his arms to the side and giving in. He can’t not give in. 

Louis lets Tony suck his dick with the perfection Tony has dialed in. This stops only when Tony has made sure he’s swallowed every drop Louis gives.

Without any hestitation once Louis is rung dry, Tony pulls him from the counter. He makes sure the lifted hoodie is swept completely off. He bends Louis over the counter, bum presented, placing arms stretching out to hold the far end of the counter as a suggestion Louis will need to. Legs are spread wide to allow Tony a place between them. Once on his knees, Tony parts Louis’ cheeks.

The pretty, perfect hole is restored. The only sign of the taking it experienced in the night before is the taste. Tony taste himself on Louis. Perhaps a little more as he licks into Louis.

Quickly Louis is mewing and asking for more. Tony has been unable to be bold like this until the past few days. Benefit of Louis healed, vision restored, Tony braves during sex to be more playful, more aggressive. So he eats Louis out like there’s no other life source but not without throwing in some spanks, some taunts, some pulling of Louis’ hair when he wants to stand up for a break to enjoying seeing Louis bent over, back arched. For teasing them both Tony takes a few seconds to rub his cock along the wet crevice. He’s carefully considering his aggressiveness he wants to use. Tony will never take things anywhere close to making Louis feel like before, like a slave. Louis must only feel like what he is; master of Tony.

Dropping to his knees again, Tony soon has Louis licked into desperation, tongue fucked enough for begging need of fingers. 

The fun begins. Louis is so needy already. Feeling around with fingers in deep, sucking kisses on skin, lapping Louis’ balls Tony finds that Louis is dripping precum again. Such a prefect cock slut. Louis is ready to come so soon already.

Keeping two fingers deep, Tony hikes a leg of Loiuis’ up on one side to keep Louis from sliding to the floor. Louis coos how he’s so ready for cock. Or so he seems to say. Tony worries Louis is still too tight.

Finding some coconut oil nearby Tony ususe it to assist fingers, twisting them until Louis feels prepped nicely. He slathers more of the coconut oil on Louis’ bum, making sure to leave some generous amount of it at Louis’ hole once his fingers vacate. Tony has tell Louis to silence because Louis has become too fucking sexy just from his sinful words, threats and promises.

Sliding a ragging erection between cheeks a few times for sharing oil Tony takes his knob to Louis’ hole. Louis is quick to gasp a sting of “yeses”.

Tony slaps his ass and tells him to have patience. Not everyone can have Banners big dick, Hawkeye’s finesse, Jim’s power and Steve’s stamina. But Tony can please. Besides without Banner as a side by side comparison Tony is a monster dick.

Pushing in has Tony wanting to come seizing him immediately before he even makes more than one entry stroke. He feels it in his core. There’s been simply too much hours of sex the night before and fears both of which Tony has in his head. It’s making his body need more. More times in Louis. Longer with Louis. Just never enough Louislouislouis.

Once Tony starts dicking into the boy Louis is too far gone enjoying this to be still or quiet when Tony trys to still or pause for a second. Louis is simply wiggling, demanding or purring pleads for more. Until he comes. He comes in that funny way where Louis can’t even make a noise. Pleasure mutes him. His orgasm sends vinrations that spawn Tony’s release. He comes with such force deep in Louis he’s simultaneously thrusting in while profusing apologizing even if he’s not nearly close to finishing his climax.

Tony can’t help it. 

He.  


Fears. 

The day.

It’s the day he set in motion. Following the night with the Avengers when he knew had to offer a chance to set things right.

***

Tony’s friends, fellow Avengers, were still talking hours after Tony returned from putting Louis “to bed”. Once the guilting of Tony for the long time that took, clearly for the reason that they were having sex, they spoke about how each felt Tony must proceed going forward. 

He must put Louis back in his lost life. 

It was after 2AM when all were surprised because there standing in the room having quietly slipped downnstairs to look for Tony was a sleepy looking Louis. He was wearing only an oversized hoodie. It hung to his thighs concealing his personal parts, but in an odd way making him look even sexier. Thanks to the hoodie his shapely thighs looked all the more luscious. The bare ness contrasted the way his upper body was swimming in the garnet.

Adding to this Louis is playing with the hem of the shirt with his delicate fingers. Nervously.

“Louis?”

Inviting him to sit Louis took a spot next to Tony. He pulls his legs in so feet were on couch and he slipped the hoodie over his legs so he is completely tucked into the garment. 

How cute this is isn’t lost on any of them. 

“Headache gone?” 

“Yes. What are you doing?” 

“We’re talking about you.” 

“Me?” 

“Yes Louis. What is best for you.” 

From there the dialogue went on. Everyone made sure that Louis knew it was a group discussion about how to integrate Louis into learning what he had before an event stripped his memories. Compassionately, with sensitivity to when Louis looked stressed they paused introducing the idea of who the real Louis Tomlinson was. Beloved son and brother. Boyband popstar. It seems that this is a lot for Louis to absorb, even with carefully avoiding details like who Simon Cowell really was before, so they closed the discussion. 

Natasha because of her sister-like affinity with Louis suggested the final thing for the night. 

“Louis since my thing is being a spy it’s easy for me to put together some details that might help you to look back at those people you know in context of what was your life before the accident. Anyone can go on the internet and learn things but in your case some things, private things might be contractually hidden. The Louis the public knows was dating some girl. For the obvious reason that seems like it was a false narrrative for sake of marketing and band image. Dr. Cho just said earlier before you sat down for Tony to keep you getting too overwhelmed, to let things come at a pace not all so fast. Let your feelings as you get a sense of them to direct you. How about I put together a roster, photos of who’s who. Maybe throw in some down low possibilities to let you have fewer surprises as you step back into who you are. Ultimately everything going forward can come as you feel ready. Does that sound good.” 

Louis’ eyes look huge they are so wide with disbelief. He nods his head yes and says he would like that but his posture is still tucked into his hoodie swaddled ball and he seems shaken. Or he does tremble ever so little. Hearing he was never a prostitute but a celebrity, with a large, close, loving family was seemingly a relief and frightening all at once. It’s so hard when someone doesn’t know who they are, he says. 

The next morning, with many of the Avengers having decide to stay for the night taking use of guest rooms, Natasha welcomed Louis when he woke very much later than all the others, and without Tony’s normal wake routine, with a portfolio. In it are pictures and mostly biogeographical details. 

As Cho suggeststed, and edited along side Natasha, Simon is not included in the portfolio. Harry is not described as “potential lover/boyfriend” simply bandmate, roommate. Eleanor is listed as “girlfriend since.../potential beard”. 

Louis himself is described. His personality. His many distinguishing highlighted public moments. His devotion to his family, protectiveness, his giving nature. 

After seeing the portfolio Tony and Louis have a good long talk. It was private but some eavesdropping occurred. Tony was to discuss Simon if he felt he could. Everyone was curious how that would go. 

Since the keyword Cho said for Tony to watch for is “feelings”, Louis’ memories would mostly be substituted by innate feelings rather than concrete events, it this clue from Louis that Tony listens for 

Louis expresses that he feels that he wouldn’t want to throw the return on his family first because he has younger siblings and it would be so emotionally draining to see the hurt they’ve been living with knowing these are the people he loves the most. 

It crushes Tony when Louis decides and states with clarity what he wants to do to come back from being a missing person soon as he can. 

“I feel like I should try out how I handle the emotions of others when they see me again by trying to meet with my closest friends. People, like my bandmates. It shouldn’t be as hard. Natasha describes the lads as “like brothers” to me, but since they are not family, I feel like since I don’t love, I mean I didn’t love them like I did my family, that would be easier.” 

Those words are resonating in Tony’s head when he completes his orgasm. It’s the singular thing he can’t hide from. Given the chance, Louis chose to meet his past as soon as possible. So this day is the big day. He picked meeting his band first to soften the impact because he thinks they are only people he “loves like brothers” but doesn’t truly love. Not “like love love”. 

Since the decision was made yesterday by Louis to reaquuaint with the band To y has been making the plan and has been trying to reconcile what this means. It’s now only hours away. 

*** 

A clandestine meeting. Simon was not invited since he was not the active daily routine manager of the band. Apparently since conception of 1D Simon is more of a “big deal” or “occasional handler”, usually, as Natasha also found. Simon is brought in when PR needed damage control because Larry stepped out of line. So going into this meeting Tony is still delaying, dreading, revealing for Louis who Simon is. 

Tony knows as he finishes in Louis that in hours Louis goes to a deftly crafted, decretley secret meeting of only a few persons in management and four boys from Louis past. Among them, most likely, Louis’ lover Harry.


	42. Chapter 42

Management was used to their routine. For this reason, and they were told not to let this leave their circle off the few names addressed they did not call Simon. Besides ever since Louis went missing the Larry stuff had been slowing down replaced by the idea Louis and Harry were enemies and Harry had a hand in the disappearance. It was Louis who was the hornet stinging the band’s image as portrayed by the marketing team; five boys pretty and wholesome. Into girls. Nice families. But since Louis disappeared he became the fall guy for rumored problems.

Having Tony Stark contact management simply saying he’d found their missing popstar, general management thought they’d leave the next step as Stark requested. Only the four boys and the people in the head office were in the loop in order to keep this quiet until the details become better understood. This was out of their hands since Stark already called the shots on the time and date. Who are they to aurgue with Ironman and how the hell did he come up with their missing singer? 

Tony Stark walks in the door through a back entrance away from the front more visible entry. Trailing behind slightly being led by a hand in hand is Louis. Alive and real. 

Stark is an impressive looking man in the flesh. This magnifies how petite and delicate their boyband commodity is. And from the first glance at the pair it clear something is different about Louis. It was like he is stripped of something. The Louis management knew was always the loudest person in the room. He was bold, bright, energetic. He always spoke for the five boys and he was fierce in disagreements with their team. This boy with Stark, that looks like Louis, is almost hiding behind Stark as they enter. Indeed Tony has to pull Louis around from behind him by the hand he’s holding.

Mangers Michael, Tom and James introduce themselves. 

Tony speaks first. “For the record, it was just over a month ago I found where your talent here was living, actually held. Two things you need to be sensitive to, he was abducted and when I found him he was living with no idea of who he is and at that time he was completely blind. A very fortunate connection to a brilliant doctor has allowed us to get Louis his sight back. We’re still not sure if he’ll get his past back though, memories might forever be lost. We are here first for him to remeet the other four boys because it’s a little frightening for him to see his family first without more self-awareness.”

Turning to Louis Tony asks, “Would you like to add anything?”

Louis hakes his head “no.” His small hand is sweating in Tony’s. Tiny trembling is visible even for those not having the sensation of it in their hand so Michael is quick to speak to address the nervous lad.

He steps toward Louis, pauses when he feels a bit of intimidation from the way Tony steps forward too as if to arrest the advancing move with a subtle suggestion of “distance please”.

“We are so glad to welcome you home Louis, back to the band. It’s been horrible for all your family, loved ones, the band, millions of fans. The not what knowing what happened to you has made it particularly bad. Rumors fly. Terrible, terrible rumors. Some of them hurt almost as deeply as the loss of you from everyone’s lives.”

The other two men back the sentiment and they invite the two to have a seat. Louis practically sits in Tony’s lap as he positions himself so tight against Tony like a void between them is too great. His face shows his fragility.

James asks. “We don’t have to do anything more if this feels too overwhelming just coming here Louis. If you like we can tell the four boys to come back. Our receptionist has them waiting in another room. We can send them home. You don’t have to do this today. It seems this is a big step.”

Louis blurts out a hasty response though his voice is trembling, softer and raspier than normal. “No! No, I mean no. I want to do this. I have to. Me family they can’t be put through more of this, like you said, it’s not knowing that is particularly bad. For a year I’ve not known anything about myself. I still don’t know who I am. I find myself one day being cast off, sold off to this man, Tony, fortunately he,”

Louis looks at Tony as he stops. Tears flow from his eyes. His shaking is entirely as visible as it is visceral. Tony responds by putting his arms around Louis. Louis continues while burying his face in Tony’s silk shirt. 

“Without Tony I’d still be in total darkness, still being kept, and ...”

The three men are shocked by this. Louis couldn’t finish what he was saying. Tony whispers for them to please give them a few minutes alone. They are too happy to do this because there is clearly something even deeper and darker at work. This is not the sassy, pain in the arse, snarky Louis of old. This is a fragile, delicate, broken person in a shell of Louis’ form.

Once they step pout of their office into a reception area where they all look at each other in disbelief and shake their heads. 

“Wow. I mean wow, he’s fucked up.”

The receptionist inquires, who’s in there? Who are they talking about? 

“The who is in there is not your concern. For the record, no one is here except our other four boys, okay? They are all here already are they not, waiting in the lounge?”

The receptionist looks miffed for being treated like a person of insignificance. She slaps some papers around. “Yes. They are waiting in the lounge. The caterers left quite a spread in there but the only one who is eating is Niall. He’s actually killing it. And Zayn is smoking again even though I keep asking him to go to the smoking lounge he just stares at me a blows his nasty smoke at me.”

Michael says, “Don’t mess with the talent, Marsha. They pay your salary. Watch for the signal from us. When we alert you unlock the side door please. If we give you the signal that is.”

He finishes his instructions and suggest to the other two they go back in the office. The signal they referred to is a light on the receptionist’ desk that indicates to alert guest in the lounge that they can enter the principle office through a side door that directly connects the two spaces, the rooms in this management complex of offices and lounges being designed to conceal identities of people for reasons of celebrity temperaments and sensibilities being commonly papered and protected. 

Once the three men return to the principle office the receptionist gets out her personal phone and sends a text.

To Simon Cowell it reads. “Some private meeting here with 1D and a mystery person I haven’t seen.”

Simon replies back instantly. “Mystery person?”

“Yes. Haven’t seen who. Used back entrance. Nothing official on books. Two clues. They said, I quote ‘our other four boys’. They said ‘other four’ and don’t think they realize the mistake. Oh and they said ‘he’s fucked up’. Like this is a surprise to them. Something or someone unexpected is in their office.”

Simon replies back. “I’ll be right there.”

***

In the lounge Niall is indeed grazing through a large spread of food. Nervous, this comforts him. 

Zayn has been ripping through smokes at an equally alarming rate. 

Sitting on a couch with arms around each other Liam and Harry are watching the other two buzz through their vices and comforting each other. Harry in particular is nauseated with fear. It’s weird the invite. Usually if there is some big drama like a new story about what may have happened to Louis there is some prep of the news breaking. This is all a mystery. It feels different. 

For Harry, losing his lover and being associated in every story about the disappearance as possibly he was the cause of it he simply can’t take more. Liam is comforting him. It’s been a long time so the wait has added mystery and misery. That’s when the side door to the principe off opens. James looks in at them. 

“Boys. Please join us. Sorry for the wait. You’ll understand in a second.”


	43. Chapter 43

Stepping through the door it’s Zayn, Niall, Liam then Harry.

The shock strikes them immediately when they see in the foreground along with Michael, James and Tom is Louis standing there with Tony Stark flanking him.

The first three rush to hug Louis in as a mob.

It’s a minute or so of this with talking among them making it impossible for any reply. 

“Louis, you're back!”, “Louis where you been?”, “God we’ve been so worried!” Are sentiments heard between other words not intelligible because of their hugging and talking into each other. As they pull back some slight bit like for getting another look at Louis it occurs who something is slightly off. A couple things actually.

First, Louis isreceptive but ever so oddly constrained. And secondly it’s the realization that it is only three of them hugging him but not four. With the dawning of these elements Louis looks past them so they all look around toward the door through which they came where everyone sees Harry.

Harry has gone to his knees on the floor. His face is in his hands and he’s sobbing.

Louis steps free from the group hug which was lingering with sets of hands still on him like the three needed continued touch to keep, Louis so long missing, present and real. “Harry?” Louis questions.

Hesitantly Louis steps forward, repeating softly. “Harry?”

Harry’s hands drop to his thighs. He gasps out from his spot on the floor. “Could only fear you were dead somewhere.” Harry looks a mess with his nose red and his face twisted with his agony.

Louis reaches a hand out with everyone watching. It occurs to Tony is like a bird floating with the delicate way it extends.

Harry takes Louis’ hand and with the assist that is more a statement than an action Harry raises to his feet. For a slipt second it’s like everything is frozen. Everyone in the room is watching them.

Two hands change from a gentle clasp coming to stay pressed together palm to palm. 

For another few seconds more the room is frozen as the two appear to be staring into each other’s eyes, holding there like in a blink one would vanish.

It’s not lost on Tony how there is a kinetic air to this pair. The one, tall 6’1”, lanky and lovely. The other 5’7”, curvy and pretty. Each fixed on the other and neither finding words to speak.

Then it happens. Harry seizes Louis. An arm goes around the back feeling it’s was to the back of Louis’ neck. The other arm comes around and feels it’s way down so to grip on one side of bum. With both pulling Louis into him Louis is consumed in this hug which becomes a kiss the type Tony has read of in countless fictions about Larry.

It’s hard to say from behind but it seems Louis is feeling no need for resistance. He’s virtually off his feet in Harry’s arms freely letting himself go with the the taking.

Time seems arrested for Tony. The kiss could have been measured in mere seconds but it was probably minutes before their parting puts Louis back down on his feet which seems to signal invite for the other three to come in for a five-some hug. 

The way the room doesn’t act taken back indicates this is not a thing of just fiction. Larry is a fact.

Harry’ face, the one that Tony can see of the two is filled with expressions of wonder and uncertainty. He’s calculating. He’s questioning. Tony goes closer to them looking to see Louis if Louis’ reaction could be telling. Louis looks reserved as he is staring at Harry but wanting. Like he can’t be sure if he is able to respond or simply not. 

Tony wants Louis to look away from Harry, look to him, have some even minor feeling of offense for being groped and kissed like that but Louis is endlessly staring, speechless. Wondering and uncertain. 

From behind them James gives Harry and the others an explanation. 

”Boys, Louis here has no memory of what was his life before. Mr Stark brought him here for a private meeting to begin to try to restore his world with Louis having been suffering some event such that, from what we guess based on Stark’s was traumatic when he went missing. For most of this time he’s been with an abductor. He’s only been free since Stark found him recently.” 

Suddenly four boys go from boisterous glee to slightly frightened looking. For Louis though he stays the same, slightly frozen, fixated of Harry. It’s almost like he’s wishing Harry to do that again.

Harry’s hand goes to the side of Louis’ face, fingers feeling cheekbones while he cups the face of his long lost love. 

“You don’t remember us...me...you and I? Any of this?” Harry sounds on the verge of tears again as he’s searching Louis’ face with his hand and eyes.

Louis stares on; he too is seeking answers in Harry. Tony can’t bare this but he shuffles in place waiting for Louis to stop staring at Harry like it’s a portal into his soul.

Saying nearly in a whisper, it’s soft it’s sweet, it’s not what Harry wants to hear. “No, no, but I feel...”

Louis is about to say something significant. Tony perks up to it. The words “I feel”. 

Feelings is everything. Cho said it. Louis might not ever get detailed facts back about past events back but she is certain he would get a sense himself, his past through his feelings. 

That’s when a voice is heard. It must have registered with Louis first just as he was speaking, terminating what he is going to say because he reacts before anyone else. Dropping off from finishing his statement with the word “feel” Louis literally flips out like he’s hit with an electric shock. He jumps back and falls over himself in a flee from a sound carrying from another room.

Coming from the lounge, clearly because the other door from reception is locked so the same lounge where the band had been waiting is being used as an alternative route to reach this meeting place, is the sound of Simon Cowell’s distinctive voice . It sounds like he is getting closer. Everyone else is caught off guard, suspended in confusion but Tony finds Louis on the floor pulling him up. Immediately, once on his feet Louis is grappling onto Tony for support. He’s actually hyperventilating he’s so freaked out by the booming Cowell who is apparently coming their way.

”Sy, sy, Si-mon! Why is he here?” Louis says gasping between breaths. Louis is crumbling. The room of people watch this as Louis holds onto Tony like his legs don’t work. He gives his wish in a breathless desperation. “Go. N-n-need to go!” 

Wanting to step in, instead everyone freezes because as Tony gets Louis in a supportive grip he glares at the three men who are heads of management. 

“I strictly said only the seven people I cleared, no others. James, Michael, Tom, Zayn, Liam, Niall and Harry.” 

Louis is rag-doll like in Tony’s arms and he seems to be challenged to breathe between repeated statements of the “go” plea. 

It’s painful to watch and distracted from only by the entry of Simon through the door between office and lounge like he circumvented the locked door at reception. 

“How is it that I’m not included on this!” Simon booms. He looks at Tony and Louis as soon as he demands. Seeing them Simon has no appearance of even the slightest surprise. Not a bit even for seeing long missing Louis alive, and yet even less for seeing Louis with Ironman? 

Louis is rattling off “go, go go...”. His eyes are closed like he should like to shut the world out. 

Tony is sweeping him along as he heads back through the large office toward a private rear exit and only restating his objection in simple terms, “I said the seven I cleared without exception! This is done.” 

The last thing Tony says as the room burst with pleads to not go by everyone except a shocked Harry and an entirely too unsurprised Simon is to Simon. “You have trouble to face for this.” Stark says. 

The words were spoken with such vitriol and snarl that one would be an idiot to not take it that there is something personal between Simon and Louis’ mircaculous savior. 

Before that focus of Stark on Simon’s unexpected interruption can be addressed everyone, led by Liam, Zayn and Niall respond to Harry who’s back on his knees on the floor. Face in his hands agian. Concealing his sobbing while shuddering his own confusionoverwhelming him, “Why did he have to go, why? Why? Where are they going? Why does Tony Stark have him? What’s happening?” 

It’s more than anyone can bear to hear the agony in Harry. 

While the boys fall to the floor embracing Harry in a hug like they had held Louis minutes before, though void of all joy, the three men who were expecting total privacy for this meeting turn to Simon. 

“You are not to be here. It was clear. We had made every detail to secure this for reasons apparently we are going to know now, are we?” 

Simon stand up his straightest. He puffs his chest out. “I presume you should be apologizing to me. I find out from a text from a secretary that there is a significant meeting which you choose to conceal, and then I find our missing pixie here...and on the arm of Ironman.” 

It’s Michael who catches that. The meanness. 

“On the arm? Did you just say on the arm? How do you get that? When you walked in he was staring at Harry, he was surrounded by the other three, Mr Stark was standing a foot or more off to the side. You came into view and he feel over in what was what I saw as some deeply visceral reaction like fear. Furthermore he has apparently no memory of his past, he didn’t remember us, the other boys, Harry, but he heard your voice and he said your name. How is that? And Simon, how is it that Stark seemed on to you, like enough aware of your potential effect on Louis such that he specially said, only us three and those four could be here. How is that?” 

Simon becomes ragging red in the face. 

He blurts out venomously. “For the record, I made that boy! All of them! I did that! I’ve made everyone here filthy rich. Why aren’t we questioning what this means, Billionaire playboy, superhero wizard, arms dealer for cash coming up with our client. Why is that not the question? Where has Louis been? What has he been for Stark to keep and now bring forward? Is this one of his little arms sales? Perhaps he likes sodomy but got bored, time to sell off some assets.” 

The room is aghast. Harry is faintly quiet. He’s still on the floor, on his knees, still flanked but the others, also on the floor, still fighting what they can’t understand.


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting up this smutty thing up as a stand alone piece because I’m feeling generous with time enough to make (Two!!) chapter posts in one day! 
> 
> First snow of the season hit here last night! Fireplace helped with this... and lovely comments....called me to push on.

As they drive home Tony has such angst. 

Louis can’t stop his fall into what he doesn't understand. In the seat beside Tony’s he’s shaking. Tony fears he’s going to vomit more than a few times as they drive. Louis questions everything but pauses not before a new thing enters his mind.

How was it that Simon was there? 

What really is his back story? 

Why did Harry kiss him like that?

And why did Tony let him?

They get home and the door of the car makes its bird wing like lift up as Tony goes around to take Louis’ hand to bring him out but he finds he has to lift Louis, whole body, from the car, carrying him bridal style into the house.

Louis is cashed out. He has nothing.

***

Placing Louis in their bed Tony begins to strip him. It’s easy and not. A loose neck tee and tight, tight jeans. 

Once Louis is naked Tony hovers over him and looks down at a barely aware Louis.

What does he do?

Tony’s decides the emotional exhaustion requires respect and distance. One simply cannot take pleasures on another just because they can’t object even if Tny knows how to pleasure Louis. So he gets off the bed and is heading to go freshen up. Returning to Louis he hears Louis stir and softly speak.

“Tony?”

Louis has rolled to his side and he looks so, so very devastated.

“What have I not been told? What is real? Why was Harry kissing me? Why was...Sy...him, why was he there?”

Sitting on the side of the bed Tony caresses softly a few favorite places. Nothing too sexual, just places he wants to honor. The curve of Louis ear. His shapely arms. His jaw, cheekbones.

“I so wanted to make this easy for you,” Tony begins. “But it’s not going to be easy. I tried to control it all. Buts it’s not controllable. So let’s start over, shall we?

***

The next day Louis wakes. The night before Tony told Louis that Simon came there was problematical but not implausible; best guess it was a leak from someone in the 1D office that tipped Simon off about a meeting. Prior to their arrival the three men Tony entrusted were not told it was Louis coming to see them. 

That is not the worst of it Tony told Louis before exhaustion made Louis sleep. What was truly horrible to reveal was that in reality it is Simon who is the person responsible for creating 1D. 

When Louis finds Tony is out of bed he pads down to look for him. He doesn’t want anymore answers right now. He wants Tony. 

Tony has tea started and some fresh coffee cake ready. 

Louis looks to have had no sleep despite that he did get many hours. His sweatspants he found beside the bed and pulled on hang on him in that way, a way such that despite their extra small size it seems only the swell of that luscious bum keeps them from slipping off. He’s shirtless. His hair is a mess. He looks confused and a little lost. 

Coming to Tony, arms go around Tony’s waist as Louis step into him in a hug. Tony kisses his shoulders and says, “Cold? Want me to get you a shirt?” 

“No. Want you to keep me warm. Just you.” 

“Okay. Here, take these cakes and go to a couch. I’ll be right there with your tea.” 

Sitting down and handing Louis his tea they find a way to cuddle together so each can eat while keeping maximum connection to each other. This is a quiet morning. Louis is visibly deep in thought. 

“Maybe in time I can see family. Eventually. But for now I want to stay here, hidden again.” 

“Okay.” Tony says seeing the suffering Simon’s presence caused. “I understand. You know I want you happy. And safe. I support whatever you want. Whenever.” 

Louis says something like he’s trying to convince himself. “I’m fine. Today, I mean. I’m fine.” 

After two cups of tea Louis slips into Tony’s lap facing Tony with his arms going around Tony’s neck. “Thank you for tying to make things right. I haven’t thanked you.” 

Louis let’s his forehead come to rest against Tony’s. Tony finds the natural place for his hands to be resting is on the back of Louis’ bottom. “Again, I want you happy. Safe.” 

Louis says something that for a split second puts pause in Tony’s heart. 

“But I need more...” Louis says with his lips finding Tony’s neck and with his tongue they tickle Tony there. By more he means, sex. 

Tony immediately moans and pushes himself into a more stretched down, slacking, seated position. Louis wants this because he adjust too and starts to kiss under Tony’s jaw, traveling to ears, then find lips and bring his tongue into play with the kiss. 

Soon both are rutting pelvises against the other, finding more passion in their kiss. Tony pushes down Louis sweats some so he finds he has both hands delightfull containing the pleasing fullness of Louis’ arse. 

Louis says “Fill me with that cock of yours” between kisses. Tony acts quick to plop Louis on the couch, sprints off, sprints back with lube in hand. Louis is totally naked when he comes so Tony rips off his clothes too. 

“Let me eat you out first.” Tony suggests. 

Louis shakes his head no. “Don’t want to wait that long.” 

“Fingers, then.” 

“Only if you’re quick about it.” As Louis makes his demands he’s playing with his pretty cock. It’s insanely compelling his want, his casual, laissez-faire disregard for the scope of taking Tony’s cock unprepped. 

Several minutes too few by Tony’s calculation Louis is back on Tony’s lap as he was before. He’s using one hand to position the head of Tony’s dick for taking. He’s been smack talking Tony for minutes as Tony was trying finger Louis loose, trying, he kept telling Louis, to protect Louis from pushing too hard, too fast for this. 

Feeling his knob push into barrier of the opening Tony wants to give up his protective reservations but he holds off. Or rather he holds Louis at the hips and hopes he doesn’t come from the pressurized heat sensation that is entering Louis. 

Louis fuels the yearning because once he is sitting on just the head of Tony’s cock he begins this sexy hip rolling action. Clearly it’s sensational feeling for Louis because Louis is breaking into a sweat and moaning as he does this. He’s also sinfully none too careful about how the action flops his fattened dick to a fro. Several times it slaps Tony in the face and Tony loves everybit of it. 

“For love of god, Louis what a fucking prick tease you are, fucking goddesses can’t ride cock like this!” 

Moans that are qualifying the pleasure Louis is feeling stop momentarily as Louis finds focus enough to form a few words of reply, “For the record, I find being called a goddess by you far more pleasing than princess, never liked the label ‘princess’.” 

Note among many other hurtful things, Daddy Simon routinely called Louis “princess” is one of them. 

”Cock Goodess” Tony murmurs and that’s when Louis sinks. 

He slides the full length of Tony his face showing his love of taking every slow inch. Following a rest for a few seconds bottomed Louis begins a cadence of dick riding that plays with Tony’s senses so completely he’s rendered giddy with it. 

Watching Louis’ face showing his pleasure becomes too intense for Tony. He sees how Louis looks when he’s literally in edge of orgasm but waiting for Tony. He’s so loving the feeling of penetrating himself just exactly right there but only so briefly so he staves off his release teasing himself. 

“Louis,” Tony says gripping Louis between hands going to either side of his far too small torso, “Goddess, I want you to spin around on me, face the other way, please.” 

Louis smiles devilishly. It’s easy for one so flexible to make the move while impaled with cock so massive. He does as Tony instructs and looks back over his shoulder once giving Tony a far too sassy smirk before his fucking onto Tony commences again. 

Feeling and seeing his dick go from nearly slipped out to fully seated deeply bottomed in Louis is far too much as dangerously sexy a thing as watching Louis’ face while he’s enjoying taking dick. So Tony reaches forward and pulls Louis backwards making Louis pressed into his chest. Tony looks over one of Louis’ shoulders and feels all of Louis’ backside slipping against his slicked, sweaty chest as Louis continues to ride cock with more of a pelvis roll with the shif keeping Tony buried deep , a different angel agin than the formerly long cock-sliding action. 

With their new position Tony is able to twist nipples, bite Louis’ neck and shoulders, watch how profusely Louis is oozing precum. Louis’ thighs are shaking. Every time Tony’s hand runs up the front of Louis’ body he arches with sensitivity to Tony’s touch which accentuates his visible ribs, his pretty pelvis and his full thighs that hang parted off Tony’s thighs. Louis so meant for this. 

And then it hits him. Louis begins to ejaculate. The first string of cum hits Tony in the face. A copious second launch of jizz hits him in his open mouth as he shouts out he’s coming now too. The taste of Louis is nirvana, Louis’ writhing pleasure on Tony’s body with full contact is perfection. 

Goddess. 

Perfect timing.

*** 

Okay not perfect timing. 

Tony and Louis are lazily dazed arrested in their exhaustion pressed together immediately after coming down. Still sat as they were on the couch, back to chest, a sticky mess of come and sweat with Louis’ body giving drips of Tony’s ejculate onto Tony under him is how they are when Jarvis says, “Guests approaching front door.” 

Louis slips off. He moves like he’s not really able too. Maybe more prep would make it so he could walk after the thing. Slight guilt arrests Tony’s heart for the sight of this. Tony finds his own legs are uncooperative too. He’s sure he’s a mess so he makes a passing attempt with napkins to remove what he knows is on him as he trheows on his clothes heading to the door.

Opening the door, looking back unconcerned, calling to Louis over his shoulder. “Put some pants on just in case.” Tony is expecting a delivery. Or maybe Hawkeye. 

Not One Direction. 

But there they stand. All four boys and one security guy. From past experiences surfing the history of the band Tony knows this is Paul. 

Tony steps back, gesturing to suggest they step in because he can see at the bottom of the hill on public domain is a few suvs parked street side. Paparazzi. 

Once the five step in and the door closes it hits Tony. He sees it on their faces. 

He smells like sex. He’s wearing clothes that have bits of jizz from where it was on his body when he pulled these things on, the cum on him is making wet marks here and there. It also occurs to him only because everyone is looking right there at ...t h a t. T-h-a-t, the thing stuck on his perfectly manicured facial hair. It’s jizz, Louis’, he feels as he tries to deftly wipe it away and in somthere goes shaking hands. 

And to make it worse Louis comes popping around the corner hearing voices and there he is, well, looking in a few words completed wrecked with sex. Louis has no shirt so his “just came” rosey glow is still highly visible. His normally pink lips are unusually red from biting them. His shoulders and neck bare the bite marks Tony left. His nipples, so small normally, look puffier than normal. 

Oh yeah. Tony and Louis have the “we are just coming off of having sex” written all over them. And here inside Tony’s front door is Harry and four others. 

Tony turns to Louis and says, ”Go find a shirt.” 

Louis nods and his face looks perhaps a little nervous, sheepish. Perplexed for certain. He walks away and it’s clear watching him leave that he’s also got a waddle that’s not normal. 

“Tea anyone?” 

No one is better than Tony Stark faced with a publicity challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I should not have done Two in One day.
> 
> My bad,


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fixed much of the typos. Thanks for reading, Typos.

Tony gets tea orders. It’s an excuse. He rushes to his kitchen to discretely find something to check his look in a reflection. Hep, he has jizz in his facial hair. Tony uses a fresh kitchen towel for a quick face wash, following with washing his hands before he returns with an abundance of coffee cake that he offers.

He goes back for tea as everyone sits. 

It’s clear to Tony’s guest that his home is impressive beyond what the millionaire boys taking a seat have. Nervously, the five of them are pretending this is not so awkward. 

They just begin to speak when Rony brings tea. Token statements are said like one says at those awful family gatherings where everyone knows there’s an elephant in the room.

It just beginning to become slitlghtly, ever so slightly, less awkward when Louis comes down. 

He’s taken a quick shower.

Oh thank god. 

He’s changed.

Oh thank god!

But for the love of god why is he wearing that? 

Louis comes into the room in skinny jeans and...

...Harry’s Greenbay Packers Hoodie.

Zayn, Liam and Niall look at Harry for his reaction.

Paul covers his face with his hands shaking his disbelief.

Harry looks at Louis. His eyes wide open in disbelief. Harry’s mouth opens and closes. He has no words.

Louis catches something is significant but he has no context. 

He’s being stared at.

He looks at them, their pained reactions.

He looks to Tony. 

He looks around at all of them and back at Tony again. 

Finally he shrugs and says “What? Am I wrong?”

That causes Harry to stand up. It’s with intention.

Harry comes to Louis purposefully. Louis feels the intention. It makes him step away almost fearful. 

Harry’s hand seizes the side of Louis’ face; he kisses him. It’s deep and long.

Everyone watches. 

Louis seems to go weak at the knees but he keeps himself standing, not responding, at least his hands stay down at his side as he is backing away. Like it’s weirdly a mix of exciting and horrid for Tony. Harry still presss on. 

It gets to where everyone is looking at each other for assurance or looking down embarrassed. 

Harry continues kissing Louis passionately, keeping his hands cupping either side of Louis’ face. Louis is neither pushing Harry off nor responding. His legs just dance under him a bit like they could give out. 

Then, suddenly, the two break apart. Tony finally jumps up swoops over to take Louis by the waist. He says to Harry, flustered and and uncharacteristally shakily for a Tony Stark, “Okay, okay fine, we A-L-L get it. There’s something there. But stop. Please.”

Regaining himself, in classic Stark cheekiness, Tony waves Harry off. Louis who is pulled along by Tony to sit beside him is staring at Harry. He’s breathless. A little flushed. He looks like he could go back for more. With Tony claiming him in an arm hold he just sits down looking confused. 

Harry speaks though a smile. His smile says, “that is mine.” And Harry isn’t thinking that because of the shirt. But he speaks of the shirt. “Seems a lot like mine.”

Tony looks struck with loss of words to say about that.

Harry smiles more, seeing a weakness and clarifies. “I mean the hoodie. It’s funny. It went missing...”

Finally Louis shakes off his kiss-induced stun. He looks down and pulls on it. He seems tormented. The three lads who know Harry and Louis best look over at Harry like “Did you really just say that?” Paul puts his hands over his face again. Louis turns to Tony.

“Where did you get this? Is this...” Louis stops mid sentence and looks back btween Tony and Harry who’s smiling coyly.

“I may have borrowed it.” Tony says.

Louis jumps up. He puts his hands on the hem like he’s going to bring the thing off as he says, “You what? May have borrowed!”

Harry gets up and walks to Louis again with Louis avoiding pulling back from him this time. 

“It’s okay,” Harry says taking Louis’ hands in his own making Louis’ fingers stop fidgeting with shirt hem. Harry says as he holds Louis’ hands, “I always liked better it when you wore it anyway.”

Tony is pretty sure they are going to kiss again. He stands up, puts himself close enough to pressure Harry so that Harry can’t. Harry lifts his hands, taking both of Louis’ in face of Tony’s pressure. Tony pulls Louis away, sitting back down beside him. 

“Keep it.” Harry says. “Sweet creature that you are, it should belong to you.”

Tony jumps in. “For the record, I meant only to borrow it. Return it. You see before I moved ahead with returning Louis’ pastt I wanted some sense of where he is. He’s been through a lot. I was trying to protect him.”

Tony looks at Louis. Louis is staring at Harry again. Harry is not staring back for a change. Harry is giving this space. He’s avoiding looking at Louis. He doesn’t need to. He can feel Louis is attracted to him. Tony get the feeling of it too. 

Ignoring the chemistry Tony turns to the others. “You’re here, I take it you want answers.”

Paul clears his throat and sits forward. “I got a call from management yesterday. They asked me to escort the boys here, told me what transpired in the office. Felt like they should clarify the Simon thing. Thats my goal..”

The mere mention of Simon has Louis crawling closer to Tony on the couch. This has the boys all looking to each other, each concerned, not for Louis’ clinging to Tony, but the driver of the reaction. Visceral fear of Simon evidenced now twice with Louis’ reaction.

Paul directs his words at Louis. “Tom, James and Michael want you to know they’ve fired the woman who was receptionist for her decision to tip off Simon about the meeting. They’d like you to come back.” 

Louis closes his eyes and shakes his head with entire body trembling too. “No, n-n-no!” He jumps to his feet. His eyes focus on no one as he dances in spit a little from nervousness and he says. “I can’t. I’m sorry I can’t. That was a mistake. I can’t come back.” 

With everyone else standing to meet him with intentions of comfort they find Louis beats a quick path to run from the room heading up the stairs leaving them to all regret what they never got to say. Looking gutted everyone sits. It’s quiet for a minute. 

“You need to understand something.” Tony says. “When I found him, he had been put up for auction. I don’t know if the persons selling him were the original abductors, but they were using him, profiting from pornography they made of their abuse of him. He was not only unaware of who he is, but he was also blind. Seeing again, sight, is a recent change. It’s only been about a month that he’s been with me. And though I thought I could always protect him, he’s actually been through a lot, maybe more than I can say. But for him to be thrown into seeing Simon yesterday, well that’s too much. You see it’s Simon and his boyfriend Paul who sold Louis.” 

Everyone puts their hands on their heads in shocking disbelief. Zayn and Niall actually bend over like one or both of them could begin to be sick. Liam reaches an arm around Harry who’s clearly on the verge of crying. 

Harry cruise out. “But I’ve been to Simon’s house a thousand times! Every time I went there it was because a new story came out suggesting I had a hand in killing my secret lover. Simon, he’d invite me over, like to be nice and we’d talk! How could he be hiding Louis that entire time?” 

“I don’t know.” Tony says feeling so bad for Harry. “But which house did you go to? Between them, he and Paul, they have more than one LA mansion. I could tell you where it is, which house Louis was at. You could send the authorities there and I’m sure they’d find evidence of Louis being there. They could find the porn site Simon ran. But for what good? It might destroy the image of the band but for certain it would destroy Louis. He isn’t that strong. Not yet. But then you can see that. I think yesterday Louis was hoping that it would be easier for him to see his friends than to attempt to see his family first. He’s not got much chance of regaining specific memories so he seems to not know himself. But given that the treatment that restored his sight worked, we hope, it’s expected for him to get back his sense of himself in impressions, if not memories.” 

This is when Tony directs his attention to Harry. 

”I’m sorry Harry, that’s why I took your hoodie. For Louis. I sent a drone to your LA home. Sorry. It went to your laundry, pulled out the shirt, brought it to me. I wanted only to use it to know if Louis had a sense of things. Dr Cho, who treated him, said after his sight returned, more might restore too. Regaining lost memories would be harder. She said scent is the strongest trigger of memories. It’s seems it’s true with him, at least he recalled some feeling when he took you unwashed hoodie and wore it the first time. He said it felt like ‘home’. You’re scent, home.” 

Returning to addressing the entire group Tony continues. “We just didn't anticipate Simon. And Louis hasn’t, hadn’t, not until, after the failed meeting, been told how he wasn’t just friends with his bandmates. At least not only just friends with all of you. It’s a lot. He’s very fragile.”

Liam rubs Harry’s back with Zayn and Niall moving to support Harry too. Looking at Tony, Liam interjects.

“When you left the meeting Simon launched into some attack on you. He made these suggestions, something like what you’ve said about him. The problem is that Michael caught, everyone did, when we thought about it, how Louis knew Simon. Stories didn’t align. They dismissed us, the three of them talked alone with Simon, we took Harry home. Then Paul came to check on us. He’s been briefed. We’ve come here because we need Louis, all of us. He’s our brother. We can’t ask him to do what he can’t, but we can at least ask him to let us be a part of him again.” 

Niall chimes in. “Because like it or not, Louis is always going to be a part of us.” 

Zayn piles on, “Many ways Louis is the best of us, no ego, all heart...and humor. Always messing around, playful. It’s no fun without him. He’s like the sunshine. We can cover his vocal parts but his voice was different it’s not the same. Simon made sure that from the beginning he’d insult Louis’ voice. Simon loved to put Louis down, but he’s never been able to take away what Louis means to us though. I can absolutely believe he’s behind this. It suits him. He’s always had this thing about Louis. I saw it in the way he looked at Louis from the beginning. He hates him, he loves him.” 

Harry finds the strength to talk. He has to clear his throat because clearly he’s choked up by what Zayn said. 

“So why, if you’re Ironman, haven’t you gone superhero on him, on Simon, taken Simon to task?” 

Tony finds the question not surprising. He’s asked himself it many many times. 

“Because I’m not above the law. I’m not part of any justice system. Avengers are not more important than anyone else. For the record I can, and have plans to, bring Simon down, legally. Praying upon his greed and his secret lust for boys. Do you not think he will do this again? When he’s run his corse with your group, pimped you to young girls for all their pennies, drained each of you dry, he’ll move on. He’ll find another Louis who he puts in a band, keeps, just so until he can move on him. This is why I am not, and I will not do is anything to bring out a public awareness that puts Louis at its center. I’m thinking of Louis, what he’s been through, his family’s suffering too. Certainly if he was in a contracted closeted relationship on some level he was protecting his family. Protecting his sisters. You would know that. I just assuming, because he seems to have a very tight family. He doesn’t remember details but he talks about his feeling of them. He’s protective.”

Harry stretches in a twist like a weird thing is overtaking him. Confession time. 

“Louis has always been protective. But his sister, Lottie knew he was gay when he auditioned. It was Lottie who suggested when he try auditioning a second year to go to the auditions with a girlfriend on arm. To deflect knowledge about his sexuality.” 

Liam looks at Harry. “You never told us that?” 

“Well it’s not a sharing story. Not really. Besides you three are always telling us to get a room. But yeah, when we first got put together it came out because I had this weird, eye-opening experience with Louis. It happened when we were at the house, all of us. I went upstairs, everyone was out already except us. Lottie had come with Hanna to visit Louis for a few hours. I found Lottie sitting in the kitchen alone, reading. Asked where Louis was. She said upstairs, but for me to wait, they’d be down soon. We needed to leave earlier than Louis had been told so that is why I was looking to get Louis. I ran upstairs to get him. Lottie ran after me and kept insisting no, to wait, or she’d tell him for me. We started racing against each other through the hall and I hear Louis when we near the room; he’s saying my name. I get to the door, Lottie is all over me, pulling my hands always from the knob, saying “stop”, “no”, “wait”.” 

“But I throw the door open, after all it’s our room we’re sharing, right? So there is Louis. He’s naked on his bed, knees down bum up, arms stretched holding onto the bed with his hands like for dear life. Hanna is standing on her knees behind him. She is wearing a bra, no panties, a garter and a strap on. Her hands are on his waist and she’s doing him. Louis isn’t saying her name, he’s saying my my name, moaning ‘yes, Harry’ saying how much he loves me, Harry, fucking him. Sudenly Hanna sees me and Lottie standing there in the open doorway watching them and she screams, jumps away.” 

“So that’s how I found out how much Louis liked me in that way. Lottie closed the door. She tried to take my hand to make me leave but I went into the room and locked her out. Hanna was mortified, Louis seemed surreal. He was so funny. He got off the bed, walked over to me. We were the same height then. I remember how he looked in my eyes to challenge me. He knew I had been crushing on him. He said something like ‘Harry is me pet name for the strap on.’ He was so flirty, challengingly in the way he said it, like he was making sure to say to me that this sexual person is who he is. I don’t know what came over me. Maybe seeing him standing there, erect, like I made him like that, or at least it was the idea of us made him hard, so much so that he needed to be pegged by a girl while dreaming of it being me in him. Maybe he knew I was already in love with him. The way he flirted with me, I couldn’t resist.” 

It’s quiet in the Stark house for a solid minute as everyone absorbs this over share. Suddenly Tony feels less awkward for answering a door with traces of sex all over him. Clearly Louis has a history of liking sex. 

Niall speaks first. “This is really not surprising. There’s been enough times, all the times you and Louis would just, you know. Like, right, get a room. You two were always doing something.” 

Zayn makes the most unexpected statement. “So what happened next? I mean with Hanna, you, Louis.” 

Harry smiles. “Well Hanna had taken the thing off. She still had the garter belt on. I could see her nipples through the bra, it was sheer and lacy. She’d been so into it, clear to see. Louis looks at me like he’s going to get back to it with her and Louis said, ‘Well Curly get in or get out.’ “ 

“He took Hanna by hand to the bed. He laid on his back guiding her to step over him, straddle his face. He began licking into her as she lowered herself facing his feet. Once he had her moaning he slid the dildo into himself. One hand using fingers to spread her pussy lips, one to fuck himself with the dildo. They were so loud and it was so hot. I went over to them. Took my clothes off. Found the lube, and decided to ‘get in’. Louis said, in or out. I wanted in.” 

“I’ll never forget watching Hanna cum, her juice dripping on Louis’ face. I realized later that when I took the dildo out of him and entered him that he put his freed hands to work on her, he’d put a finger in her hole. He ate her out and fucked her on his finger. I still think about that, how he wanted her to feel good. Really good. I remembered I didn't know about not having put on a condom, I was trying not to cum in him. That’s when Hanna got generous about finishing him when she came off her orgasm. She bent over his body to begin sucking his dick. He came. It made me come too. After that I remember thinking she was the coolest girl to have even lived. I thought we be like a threesome. But as you know, Hanna and Louis were just a special kind of friends. They didn’t love each other like that.” 

“Afterwards we went downstairs Lottie was like, ‘So is there anyone you don’t corrupt?’ To Louis. She was teasing. I think the first time I saw Simon’s true feeling showing about Louis was after that when Louis said he wasn’t with his girlfriend anymore. That was because of me, Hanna chose to let Louis go. I remember Louis told me about that how Simon told him that he had to have a girlfriend. If not Hanna, Simon would set something up. Then we had that night we did the performance at G A Y. After that I remember there was a fight between Simon and Louis. About the cake thing with Louis smeared in cake like to tease a club full of gay men, his overt cock slut behavior, at least that’s how Simon described it, had to be dealt with.” 

“So what do we do now about Simon?” Liam says changing the subject to fully address Simon, away from Louis’ range of sexual liberties. 

Tony shift in his seat and assays, “Well I think Paul, you should follow up with the team. Tell them the reality of where I got Louis. If they need proof, I can give them a ton of pictures. As far as Louis goes,” 

Tony stops because he sees eyes lof the others looking past him. Behind him, back from upstairs, wearing a new shirt is Louis. 

He’s standing there with a neatly folded hoodie in hands. He looks sad. And fearful. 

Everyone stands, welcoming Louis. He comes forward toward Harry. As he gets closer it looks like he’s been crying. 

Tony let’s the boys greet Louis, welcoming him back. Interestingly, Harry knows to hold back. Maybe he has a cue from Tony. 

Taking Louis with them to sit Zayn, Liam and Niall talk over each other telling Louis such sweet, assuring things. Harry sits, displaced by the warmth directed to Louis by the others. Louis extends the hoodie to Harry and speaks. He doesn’t look at Harry, just the looks at the hoodie like it’s a precious thing. “Here. You can have this back.” 

Harry shakes his head no. “Louis, you keep it. Please. It’s always looked better on you. The way you swim in it.” 

Louis hugs the Packer’ hoodie into himself, begins to tear up. “I’m so confused. I don’t know what I am.” 

Harry reaches for Louis. Niall leans back to allow their contact. Harry’s long fingers glace over Louis’ face as tears stream over cheekbones. He’s holding the hoodie like it’s his heart. This crushes Tony’s. Harry smiles. 

“You are perfect.” Harry says. “Perfect.”


	46. Chapter 46

Gracious is the word.

Gracious being something not commonly used when speaking about Tony Stark and yet Tony was extremely gracious as the day unfolds with the five guests hanging around so Louis could slowly get to know them individually. Tony even made a fabulously lavish lunch, kept everyone hydrated with whatever drinks they chose and just let things developed organically with Louis.

Conversations omitted all references to Simon. At one point Louis got out the portfolio made for him by Natasha so they could see what he had been shown about them as a group and his pre-band life. His four dear friends found it easy to fill in more details about family, Doncaster friends. Everyone avoided mentioning Hanna.

That is everyone avoided mentioning Hanna to Louis. Probably Harry’s overshare had burned into their brains an image far too private for comfort. Who could ever look at her the same?

Harry did find a time when Louis was engrossed with stories being bantered between Liam and Zayn of fun times on the road touring tomapproach Tony alone. Tony was doing something in the kitchen, cleaning up from the amazing lunch or maybe planning dinner. Harry came along side Tony at a counter where they stood such that their voices wouldn’t be heard because they were both facing away.

“Funny have that thing with Hanna pop out like that.” Harry says. It’s a leading statement. Intentional.

“That’s one way to describe it. Then again I’m sure when you all showed up at the door you had more than enough shock at what you could only assume was catching us engaging in less than virginal activities.”

“Virginal activities. Right.” Harry studies Tony. Then he slowly, in Harry’s uniquely Harry way, speaks slow and deep. “Yeah well we lads have been sitting around talking shit like mates do and more than once one of them have asked if I was a virgin before Louis. So there were many chances to answer that, tell them who was my first whatever, tel them about the thing with Hanna. I never did. Louis was my first. I mean other than messing around with girls, nothing very much though. Certainly not like Hanna and Louis.” 

Harry stops to let things sink in before he continues. 

“But Hanna. She was amazing. You know they truly loved each other. It’s just Hanna knew Louis was always going to want something else. She had the ultimate kind of love, you know. She loved him enough to let him go.” 

Harry realizes he’s just swipped at Ironman. He doesn’t care. He’s been in agony for over a year. When Louis left the office yesterday it nearly killed Harry with the pain of a thousand deaths because he was in the arms of another. Harry’s not brave enough to be Hanna. Given how Louis came to Tony, as a transaction, he’s not sure Louis has had any alternatives. 

“Harry, he has choices. Louis, he has choices. He’s not my prisoner.” 

“Okay. So I can see him anytime I want?” 

“Of course. Please. I really appreciate all of you helping him like you are today. I don’t know his family. His mom seems like an amazing woman. Obviously his sister, Lottie, is pretty cool. He’s going to need all of you supporting him when he sees them again.” 

Harry nods and walks away. He goes to sit back by the others and when there’s a break in the chatting he speaks up so even Tony can hear him with ease. 

“So Louis, Tony says we can come see you anytime you like. Maybe I can even come for a sleepover sometime, if you like.” 

From the kitchen area is the sound of dishes breaking as something hits the floor. Harry smiles. 

*** 

For two days following their first visit Paul brings Zayn, Liam, Niall and Harry to see Louis. On this their third day Louis is the one who opens the front door for a change. He’s looking particularly bright and happy. It occurs to them that he was probably just having sex again but then when they come through the door Niall casually asking what he was doing all he says not what Harry expected. 

“Hawkeye, from the Avengers was just here. He is teaching me archery. Tony’s got some thing he’s been working on so he’s not been up from his inventor’s lair.” Then Louis sees Harry is carrying a leather bag like a gym bag, but nicer hanging off his shoulder. “What’s in that?” 

“Some clothes. Your clothes. Or mine actually. I brought some of your favorite clothes to wear of mine. Thought you might like them.” 

Louis looks touched. “That’s so nice. Do you want your Packer’s hoodie back then?” 

Harry smiles. “Depends. Is it washed or does it smell like you?” 

“I can wash it first,” Louis says assuming. 

Harry cuts him off. “No, don’t! I’d like it to smell like you.” 

Louis blushes. “You know at first I thought you were going to say you brought things for a sleepover.” 

Harry asks, “Would you have liked that?” 

Louis tilts his head and reaches out to twist of a lock of Harry’s tendrils around his index finger. “Yes. Yes I would.” 

This is precisely when Tony walks up the stairs, right as Harry’s curly hair is just bouncing back from the release of Louis’ touch and Harry replies upon hearing Stark. 

“Sure Louis, I could sleepover.” Harry grins. 

Tony stops in his tracks. Feeling the attraction that is evident between these two, an immutable force of nature, is something he’s gotten accustom to over the past couple of days. But it was nice each day when they all went home and Tony had Louis to himself. He’d immediately make love to Louis. Long enduring, exhausting sessions. He’d follow them with pampering Louis in every way possible. Now this day, this day seems likely to end differently. Harry Styles is invited to sleep over.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and a bonus smut piece and dedicated Loll. (Request filled?)

Tony made certain to not seem at all daunted by Harry staying for a “sleepover”.

He made popcorn. He found a fun movie for them to watch. He let Harry pick any guest room Harry liked most and didn’t flinch when it was the one closest to his and Louis’.

Most notably Tony made every effort to not flaunt it when he took Louis to bed.

He also made sure to not be obvious when he did for sure make certain Louis was as loud as possible as he fucked him right after retiring to bed as to make Harry would be awake to hear them. 

So why is it that when Tony wakes he feels immediately that he has been trumped?

Without fail most days Louis has been asleep when Tony wakes. So where is Louis on this morning? 

Tony jumps up, pulls on some plaid flannel pajamas and heads into the hall. He stops at Harry’s door. Listens. It’s not? It is? 

Throwing open the door this is a sight not expected. 

Apparently Liam, Zayn and Niall had come over sometime while Tony was asleep. Harry must have let them in. From the looks of things Harry had to have called to invite them. 

There are five of them on one bed together. Louis is face down, on his knees, bum up. To be precise Louis is face down in Liam Payne’s lap deep throating cock as he’s taking Harry’s cock up the ass. On the side of Louis kneeling with their erect cocks in one hand are Zayn and Niall looking like they are waiting a turn. Both are using their other hand to rub Louis’ glistening body like they are cherishing him as he’s busy with Liam and Harry. It appears Harry stopped buried balls deep because he’s just come. 

Harry finishes in Louis, Louis pops off Liam’s dick with some dribble from his mouth suggesting Liam had come down his throat at the same time. Threading arms around Louis to take him up from his prone position Harry nods for the other two. Everyone shifts with Liam and Harry yielding space so Zayn and Niall can lay on their backs, leg over leg so their pelvises are aligned making their cocks nearly united as one. 

With Liam’s help Harry moves Louis. The four boys all have a hand in getting Louis centered over the two boys waiting with erect dicks posting upright. Zayn and Niall work together to get their start entering Louis who sinks still aided by Liam and Harry. 

Zayn and Niall immediately beg for Louis to get riding them, Laim is taunting them for being so impatient, Harry is saying how good it is that Louis has taken two loads, Liam’s and his, how lucky the other two are to be enjoying fucking their cum out of Louis’ pussy hole. It gets worse to watch when Liam gets behind Louis so to stabilize making Louis pump up and down on the two dicks while Liam bites into Louis’ neck and shoulders. His fingers twist nipples. Harry comes around to the other side of where Louis is riding the two so that he can take Louis’ dick into his mouth. This sends Louis into a pattern of moaning and gasping like he’s getting the best from all this. 

Everyone except Harry, who’s mouth, is full is either moaning or telling Louis what a perfect cock slut he is. How much they’ve missed this with him. That is when Louis begins to shakily say he’s gonna come. He looks to grab Harry’s head with hands going into hair which is when Louos opens his eyes, at last seeing Tony standing there. 

This is when Tony wakes up. 

“Oh fuck me.” Tony says out loud to himself rolling over and feeling the bed beside him is cold. “What a fucking nightmare.” 

He does grab his plaid pj bottoms and slips them on along with a tee shirt. He leaves his room, stopping at Harry’s door but hears nothing. “Jarvis, where’s Louis?” 

“Kitchen.” 

****

Sure enough. Louis is in the kitchen. He’s shirtless. His sweat pants are ...as usual...hanging too low because even though his waist is small and his bum swells wide, he is so small. Designers don’t make things for boys made like him.

But that is not the thing.

Louis has flour on his face. A twitch of flower on his cheekbones. Some in the tip of his nose. He’s giggling.

Oh, right. 

That’s because he’s in the kitchen with Harry and they are baking something. 

As Tony approaches he realizes a few other things. 

First Harry is wearing an apron. Just an apron. Aside from that he is totally nude. 

Second, Louis has flour on his shoulders, collarbones too. It almost looks like someone had flour on their hands and their hands had gone to Louis there. 

Harry and Louis look up to see Tony at the same instant.Louis beams happiness with bright smile. Harry looks entirely comfortable in his nakedness and smiles through a mumbled “Morning.” 

Louis comes to Tony sliding arms around Tony’s waist and planting a kiss on his lips as he shares the story of this kitchen activity. “Harry’s teaching me how to bake my favorite muffins. I wanted to surprise you with them in bed.” 

Tony makes it a point to stop Louis from pulling away from him too fast. He brushes the flour off Louis shoulders, kisses them where there was powder, then takes a longer kiss from Louis before letting him go back to “baking”. Thankfully Louis’ lips had the pinkness to them that suggest they hadn’t been put to use prior. Nevertheless it’s still unsettling that Harry is naked, in Tony’s kitchen. 

A timer goes off. Harry turns to take the first tray of muffins from the over and Tony gets the full monty of seeing Harry’s, perky, tiny booty. How could this get any worse? 

The sound of door at front opening, following a sound of a knock. In comes Hawkeye. This is how it could get worse. 

Right. Tony remembers Hawk was to come early today for another archery practice with Louis. 

Hawkeye has his hands full of gear and he drops it when he sees mid stream of talking because of seeing Harry. All Hawkeye had gotten out before he saw Harry was “Something sure smells great...” 

With his gear fanning everywhere he recovers from his flustered look and says to Tony. “So are you collecting them now?” 

The suggestion from Hawkeye that Tony is collecting pretty boys is replied to with a flip of the bird. 

Louis pipes up with his excitement very evident. “Harry’s teaching me to make my favorite muffins!” Louispops the muffins from the tray. He brings one each to Tony and Hawkeye. They are hot and he juggles them a bit but he’s clearly as happy as he can be. He seems oblivious to his bandmate’s odd choice of attire, or lack there of. Vaguely Tony remembers in his early days of perusing all things 1D how it was a joke among the boys that Harry was usually naked when he was at home with them. In time the boy’s had gotten used to it as just the thing Harry does. 

Not sure he wants to alert Hawkeye to his 1D-superfan status, but considering the naked boy unexplained is worse, Tony says to Hawkeye “I think this is a common-place thing for Harry.” 

Harry must just now get that this is odd because he blushes a little. “Um, yeah, oops. Guess I’ll be getting some pants on.”


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so dedication to “hecc” on this.  
> ***

At the end of the day Tony is feeling good. At least Harry had managed to find his pants that morning. Managed to be wearing them and a shirt. After watching Louis and Hawkeye shoot for awhile Harry gets restless. From where Tony and Harry observed the archery sitting having drinks of the alcohol free type, Tony can’t help but feel that Harry wants to have some deeper conversation.

Tony can’t.

Maybe he should though.

When archery finsihes Tony and Hawkeye talk as Louis sees Harry to the door. It is then that Tony feels the stomach acid hit the back of his throat because he is fearing they’d kiss. Afterall that had happened before. 

Watching every detail of their body language Tony recognizes the wanting that exist between them. Like it’s an immutable force of nature with them. Soul mates; what Hanna saw. 

There’s a lean. Harry leans in and down. A near touch. Louis reaches. But no he snaps his hand back. And to certify that Tony isn't imagining this he notes the way Harry immediately looks way from a compelling force to stare at Louis instead meeting Tony’s eyes like to say, “Yes. I want to. But you’re watching.”

That Harry gives up attempting a kiss gives Tony such satisfaction for Tony, mostly. 

That parting earlier in the day is why it is so surprising that about time that Tony was plating dinner, Louis having just been showered because of a fun afternoon at the beach, followed with sex, to hear a ring at the door, and voilá. Open the door. Fucking Harry Styles is back.

He’s alone standing at the door. No bandmates. No security. At a quick glance it appears no photographers have followed him on this occasion. However. Harry is drunk. Very drunk. He smells of it. Tony has not a single word out before Harry bumps into him as entering, near falling in, as if he’s invited.

Sure. Louis is quick to be happy, ecstatic almost, to see him. Stay for dinner Louis says. And soon after this another sleepover because Harry is rather inebriated and, yes Tony can send him home multiple ways but having Harry around I s making Louis soooo happy.

Once again at bed time Harry takes the room closest to Tony and Louis’.

Tony would be mad with this accept he feels like the drunkenness is a statement. 

Harry is so in love with Louis and so out of sorts with the situation before them.

It was Simon who had Louis. How do they move forward even if Louis remembered tomorrow exactly how they felt for each other?

***

It’s well past midnight. Harry had passed out in his bedroom a couple hours earlier. Tony had fallen asleep with Louis in his arms after slow, gentle sex. For sure there was no need to be loud given Harry wasn’t able to hear them in his drunken misery. This is why perhaps Tony didn’t immediatly react to Louis stirring.

It’s when Louis’ restlessness evolves into a dreamlike panic that Tony finally responds. 

Louis doesn’t accept. He fights Tony like he’s in peril and it takes a minute or more before snaps out of the dream realizing he’s fighting Tony.

With the sounds of struggle Harry wakes.

Hearing Louis sounding upset Harry bursts into the master bedroom where he finds Tony has Louis wrapped in arms. Neither appears to be struggling despite what Harry heard seconds before but rather they are both sitting up, legs folded under, bums on heels and Tony is kissing Louis as he holds him tight. The way he kisses Louis is not like lover’s but more like a parent. Lips pecking on a temple or forehead while he shushes Louis, rocks him a bit.

Louis, for his part, looks to be trembling. He’s frightened. He’s most notably not fighting against Tony. This is not about a disagreement between them. 

“Bloody he’ll what’s going on?” Harry’s asks.

Tony doesn’t look at Harry. He puts his hands on both side of Louis’ head and turns Louis like to make Louis look into his eyes.

“Louis, Louis, it’s was a dream, do you hear me? A dream, nightmare. He’s not here. They’re not here. There is no Jared. You’re okay. I got you.” Finishing softly his comforting sounding words Tony looks to Harry. 

He doesn’t flinch that Harry is naked, wanting answers.

“It’s not your concern. A nightmare. He had a nightmare. He’s okay.” 

Those words said, Tony’s focus, concern, goes back to Louis. Once again he uses his hands to hold Louis’ head like it’s essential. The only way to make Louis listen to him. “Right Louis? You’re okay.”

Louis shakes his head. Even without any eye contact Harry can tell Louis trying to shake off a nightmare as he develops a sense of where he is. Who he is with. Sadly for a Harry it’s clear Louis isn’t thinking of Harry. He doesn’t need Harry being there. He just looks to Tony for help, breaking down, sobbing, giving into Tony with his entire body melting in Tony’s arms.

“I heard him, I know I did! He was here. He’s coming for me!”

“No, no, no!” Tony says. He stops speaking only because he kisses Louis. Tony pulls Louis’ with his move to roll taking their two forms into center of the bed where he begins to kiss Louis like all that matters is their connection. It’s now more like lover’s do. 

He stops briefly to say, “Louis. I promise. He is not here. You didn’t hear him. It was a bad dream.”

With this Harry walks in closer. He’s sure Tony is aware of this but he’s not sure if Louis is. Form his shorter distance Harry can see Louis still shaking. As Tony holds Louis starting to make his affection less for passion, more for soothing, Harry sees Louis give to it. His breathing changes. By the time Louis is back asleep Harry has been sitting in the room just watching Tony and Louis for minutes on end from a nearby chair. He’s waiting, waiting. Watching. Listening. All for signs that Louis is okay.

The sound of Louis sleeping makes Harry think he can rise to leave though he is perplexed. Are there dreams that haunt Louis? Is Simon’s abduction still so raw it wakes him in night terrors like that? 

As Harry is about to slip out the bedroom door he feels a hand on his shoulder. Turned by it he faces Tony. Tony signs with a finger over lips to “shh”. Together they step through the door into the hall with Tony closing the bedroom door quietly to not wake Louis.

“What was that?” Harry asks in a whisper.

“Nightmare.”

“No shit. So he’s having dreams about Simon and Paul. Why didn't you tell us?”

Tony looks tired. He runs a hand through his short hair and shakes his head “no”. 

“Harry this hasn’t happened before. It’s all so new. His sight returning, his senses. It’s all new. This, this nightmare tonight is something new. I don’t think actually think that he was dreaming about what happened during the abuse with Simon. He woke, erupted from a deep sleep and he was fighting someone named Jared.”

“Jared? Who the fuck is Jared?” Harry barks out perplexed. 

Tony can’t be away from Louis for long enough to tell this whole awful story. It’s a very long one. He also can’t deal with it at this hour. 

“Harry,” Tony says exasperated a little for those reasons though he’s not unsympathetic to Harry’s reasonable concern. 

“Please, can we both go back to our beds? We’re both tired. You are probably still too drunk to think clearly, I’m tired. Go back to bed. Please. I’ll explain to you about Jared tomorrow, maybe. Bed. Now.”

Harry returns to his room but he can’t sleep. Soon he hears them again stirring in the other room. 

Voices. 

Louis sounds upset again. 

Harry leaves his room. Standing at their door in the hall trying to decide, it opens. Tony says way too easily like he expected Harry to be right there, “Oh hey, Harry, great, come in here please.” 

Invited in the thing Harry sees is that Louis is sitting up in the middle of the bed again. He looks terrible not however like he’s been beaten by his boyfriend more like he’s freaked out. Panicking Louis in the bed looks like Louis the other day at the office when Simon came in. Tony rushes back over to the bed and sits. He signals Harry to come in to the bedroom as Louis rambles on. 

“Please just stay here, don’t leave me!” Louis repeats again and again. 

Louis sounds desperate and frightened. He grabs Tony’s arms like he wants to tether them. Keep Tony close. 

Tony responds soothingly. “Louis. Listen to me, I need to take a look at this, while it’s active. For me to do that I have to go down stairs, only for a little bit. So I can check this out in my shop, I’ll be right back. Harry will stay here with you okay, you’ll be okay. I’ll be right down stairs, just for a bit. No one is going to come here to hurt you.” 

Louis looks gutted. Tony stands up and brings Harry closer to the bed as he whispers. “I have to go look for something while this is picking up signals. It’s urgent. He needs to feel safe, stay here with him. Please.” 

It was the please that got Harry. Harry looks down at Tony’s hand. 

The thing, “a devise” Tony has in his hand is a small thing. To Harry it looks like an earpiece similar to what they wore on stage, an in-ear, because in fact that’s very much what it is. Harry wouldn’t know this but it’s the earpiece which Louis wore when he was blind. Harry also couldn’t know that ever since the sensors were removed from Louis’ ankles and wrists the earpiece was left where it laid on the bedside table. Forgotten. Until now. Now it picked up something of significance. 

On this night the tiny device picked up static. It made noises. It was detecting something it was not meant to. That’s what woke Louis up. He heard a sound very faintly emitted from the abandoned earpiece. It was reminiscent of the sounds made by the droid which Jared used when they raped him. At first Tony thought Louis only had a bad dream. But after the frightful first wakening when they were cuddling Tony trying to return to sleep the noises began a second time. It was sounds coming from the small earpiece. Tony knew immediately something is unusually suspicious. It’s as if a hack into his system is being attempted. A hack based of using sound frequencies just like Jared used when he launched his dual continent attack to divert Tony away from his base the night he and his droid penetrated much more than Tony’s system. Louis wakes from the noise a second time with a more massive emotional break down. 

“What going on?” Harry’s says while he’s looking, studying Louis and making an occasional passing glance at the tiny thing of interest in Tony’s hand. 

“I’ll tell you later. Just stay here. Give him comfort while I check this out.” 

“Don’t leave Tony, stay with me!” Louis pleads almost crying. This sobers a slightly drunken Harry up. Taking a seat on the bed at Tony’s place he pulls Louis into him. He nods for Tony to go ahead as clearly Tony needs to expidite his research in a timely manner. 

Once Tony leaves the bedroom Harry fully embraces his charge of comforting Louis. He puts himself in the middle of the large bed and brings Louis into a hold against his body. It feels like heaven. Lying down with Louis in his arms, resting against his chest Harry soothes Louis. He feels how Louis is shaking. It’s only later that Harry wakes realizing at some time Louis had calmed and faded off. So had he. 

*** 

What wakes Harry is the feeling of the bed sheets moving like someone is stirring. He realizes it’s not Louis because he is still holding Louis tightly tucked into him. Louis’ backside against Harry’s front as they spoon. 

Enough light exist with a relatively full moon that Harry can look past Louis and see the face of the man who is joining them in his bed. Tony is back. Harry’s glad that Tony is opting not to kick him out. He seems only to want Louis to sleep undisturbed. Once he gently settles in he looks at Harry. 

Stark’s face is hard to read. He looks serious. Something has Stark determined, maybe its a concerned look. Harry starts to ask and Tony signs for silence. Best efforts to not wake Louis or not, there is already enough shuffling between the two of them for their activity in bed to make Louis to stir despite the hopes. 

Harry can’t see Louis’ face, but he realizes Louis woke from the stirring because Louis immediately sends a hand out from under the covers to touch Tony’s face. Feeling Tony in the flesh, Louis leans toward Tony, kissing him before expressing his relief. “You’re back!” 

With that said Louis moves completely into Tony’s space away from Harry kissing Tony fully, deeply, his other hand finding the other side of Tony’s face. As Louis moves over more his body makes it’s way over top of Tony’s who is gives into to lay stretched out on his own back. Their actions make the blankets pull down some. Harry finds he can’t disengage. He sees the perfect arch of Louis’ lower back, the cusp of Louis’ bum peeking out from under covers. 

Harry’s hand uncontrollably drifts to this beauty, to Louis’ back, where it runs up and down it several times before it unequivably fails to stop at a proper place. His hand traverses lower to touch the butt. This is Louis’ arse, afterall. Perhaps the finest bum on earth. Harry gropes it freely. He misses Louis too much to not. In reality, Harry wants to bury his face there, after all. 

With Harry’s touch Louis starts to writhe where he lays on top of Tony almost like he’s grinding his naked body into Tony’s under him. Maybe he is responding to what he thinks it’s Tony’s hand on his arse. 

Tony clearly is increasingly becoming more passionate in kissing Louis, nibbling on neck and shoulders. Harry can tell from how Louis sounds. Louis used to respond to Harry like that. Melt for him. 

Harry shifts again not wanting to loose Louis to efforts from Tony. Harry casts aside blankets to have full access Louis’ body. The power of what he yearns for is evidenced by an erection Harry sports. Seeing how Tony is keeping his hands on Louis’ body higher than where Harry’s own hands are focusing, bum, Harry fully moves between the two sets of legs of the two lovers to position himself so he can have each of his hands centered on a full, wiggling, grinding booty as Louis continues his rut into the man under him who he’s kissing. 

Pulling cheeks apart, Harry is spurred on by lack of resistance from Tony and a tiny responding tilt of pelvis from Louis like he’s presenting himself. Welcoming Harry’s intrusion. 

Being so presented with the sight of his lover’s treasure, a perfect, tight pink hole Harry dives forward burying his face between the cheeks he holds parted. He licks around the precious hole. He kisses each cheek holding them parted. Lapping over the radial-shaped perfection, Harry alternates sucking it ever so slightly with his licking in the center to tease it. 

This elicits moans from Louis with Louis soon trying to push back into Harry. What causes Harry pause is that Tony sounds like he cooing to Harry between the kisses, like wtf, he’s endorsing this. Is he? 

Harry wants to fight for what is his. Yet Tony, apparently is giving him an opening? Is this the effect of the Hanna story? 

Soon enough it seems obvious, both are accepting Harry. Tony’s rational has no logic in Harry’s mind but whatever. 

And Louis? 

Louis only knows Tony. Harry is still maybe only a feeling to him. But Harry pushes on because Tony is in a sharing mood. Even if it’s just to let Harry watch, Harry wants this. Harry explores variations of eating Louis out. Endorsing his course Harry, Tony’s hand coordinates with Harry’s efforts. Indeed Tony is stroking Louis’ cock which can be reached easily with Louis’ position on a Tony-bed, bum up so Louis’ cock hangs down unless he’s grinding it down into Tony. 

More and more since Harry began his insertions into Louis, Louis stops his grinding down, he arches his back more too. He pushes back onto Harry. This reward of their coordination seems to fuel Louis wanting them both. His attention once focused on kissing Tony is increasingly split between two. 

“Push him” Tony whispers, “push him.” 

Harry knows the meaning. He uses his tongue or what of the tip he can to push into to do that, making Louis gasp. 

Harry is soon having Louis writhing more. Bewtween the two men they've made Louis into sweating, whimpering, confused mess of uncertainty which sensation he likes more. Maybe he’s finding his pleasure point evasive. Is it given more by Harry’s mouth or in Tony’s hand? 

Pulling back to enjoy momentarily enjoy just watching Louis this, which Harry was certain he’d lost forever, Harry sees Tony bring one hand to seek with a finger into feel a pleasingly wet, hot, wanting, Harry-prepared hole. Tony’s finger goes in with ease from Harry’s work. 

Holding Louis, hands parting buttocks, Harry watches as Tony strokes Louis’ shaft with one hand while he fingers Louis with a single digit of his other hand. 

Louis begins moaning and pleading “more please, m-m-more”. 

For the first time with some light of morning starting to fill the room, Harry makes eye contact with Tony. Nodding Tony suggests a tactic as he drops his stoking of Louis’ erection and talks one cheek from Harry freeing a hand for Harry to do more. 

Harry slides his middle finger through the entrance along side Tony’s. Some extra lube from spit Harry pushes his digit fully in. Louis feels the second finger filling him but he suggests this is still too little. “Oh more please, give me more.” 

Tony smiles a funny smile. Like he may have wanted to chastize Louis for his neediness. He instead directs his words to Harry. 

“You're the one whose right there, with a raging erection at hand, suit up. Or unsuit, like you already are. He needs cock.” 

Tony stops his finger fucking Louis using that hand to grip Harry’s erection. It’s a fabulous feeling that rushes over Hary because of of this, his world, Louis, spread open before him and Ironman guiding his dick to meet Louis. 

Harry makes his entry an attempt to go in gentle and slow. He knows this feeling too, too well. Louis’ perfection, his rim giving Harry’s knob a fight so once Harry breaks fully through he’s compelled with an overwhelming need to get right to fucking. 

Louis is properly encouraging. He’s only silenced when on occasionally Tony can fill his mouth in a kiss, but mostly Tony has his hands full, literally, keeping them on Louis’ arse though he seems to like the occasional rub made with the back of his hands coming in contact with Harry’s dick if Harry stokes along close to the hands in his thrusting into Louis. 

It’s an trigger Harry misses but Tony doesn’t. He says “Pull him onto you, pull him back!” 

Harry shifts and moves to pick Louis up from off of Tony’s frontside. Harry repositions shifting back with his bum seated on his heels, pulling Louis pressed against Harry’s chest with Harry’s dick still impaling deeply in Louis as Tony is freed. The liberation from under Louis gives Tony access to Louis lovely frontside. Louis is arching his back into Harry, his dick posting out freely waving like this feels so good bottomed on every inch of Harry’s cock. 

Tony comes forward to take Louis’ dick in hand and consumes it in a deep throating slide. This has Louis immediately pushed into coming loudly, pulling with him, Harry into an orgasm. 

As Harry finishes he falls back. Legs get sorted but he finds he’s now the one acting as Louis’ mat although in this case Louis’ back is on Harry’s chest under him. Tony is quick to strip off his clothes. He too sports a massive erection. 

He sounds loving when he speaks to Louis, like he means no insult, “Shall we see if we can fuck another orgasm from you with you pretty and slutty like this?” 

Tony lifts Louis legs. Backs of ankles rest on his shoulders putting more of Louis’ slight weight on the body of Harry under his back. 

Harry feels each beautiful trust as Tony begins fucking into Harry-supported Louis. It’s oddly wonderful. He feels the way each penetration is fucking some cum out of the hole Harry filled. He feels Louis make no effort to protest what is an intense pounding. No instead Harry feels Louis break apart trembling after a long time of Tony driving into him like this. It seems as if Louis is pushed to come twice as long as the first time. Harry has to wrap the smaller lads body tightly in his arms to keep Louis directly ontop of him because their sweaty bodies are so slippery. Tony is so relentlessly milking Louis. 

Tony enjoys knowing they’ve wrecked Louis fully. He slips free and shoots his load on Louis. Once he’s given up his last drop he leans down kissing a fading Louis first. Then he kisses Harry too, though briefly. 

“Good boy” is all he says. Harry thinks that’s said to him. Tony steps off to go get cleaned up and bring back towels. Louis is already sleeping in his sexexhaustion though it is now well past first light. 

Harry doesn’t know what this is. But then maybe Tony doesn’t either. They all find a place in the bed. Carefully they don’t disturb sleeping Louis between them. Whatever this is something feels right. 

***

The sun hits Harry’s face. He is sure he’s slept for hours. Louis is soundly sleeping. He’s not a sweaty roses-colored mess anymore but he still looks wrecked. Harry thinks it’s because he was collapsing before the sex under some mysterious stress. Not wanting to be a bad guest Harry gets come boxers on before he goes downstairs. 

Hearing something from the floor below the main floor of the house he looks around. There’s an entry of stairs that he takes down.

Upon entering a massive subfloor workspace below the main house Harry apparently activates something. Harry stops. He stands there a little overwhelmed at the sight before him. This is Tony Stark genius, billionaire entrepreneur. Ironman. At work. There are complicated looking hints innstate of mid construction. There is a huge display from a panel and worktop. 

What Tony is doing as holographic images are displayed and a vloice program interacts with him, Harry can’t be sure. But when Tony asks someone name of “Jarvis” to display a certain kind of information, “Jarvis” apparently an antonymous intelligence, hesitates and asks, “Are you sure you want that with The Guest evesdropping?”

Tony turns.

Harry smiles sheepishly

“Is this where you do all you Avenger stuff?” Harry having a hard time facing the reality. A few hours ago he was having sex with his lover who he’d long feared was dead and this man. Ironman. It is surreal. 

“Jarvis, hold that for a second.” Tony says then he walks up to Harry making Harry somehow feel small even though they are basically the same height. “Is Louis still sleeping? I don’t want him waking alone.” 

Harry runs his hand through his hair. “He’s out. Sound asleep. Was that anxiety attack because of the person, was it Jared.” 

“Harry, for the record I’m not sure I should give you much details but you do at least need to know Jared is a person of great intellect and a sick need for power. He was here, when he baited me away. He made sure to make an impression on Louis to get at me. He left Louis for dead, basically. That after he, um, first,” 

“Don’t say it.” Harry says. He bends over to grab for something feeling like he’s going to be sick. “Please don’t say it. It may seem like we’re just too young to know what we have, what that means we have to face in world too quick to hate rather than believe love is love, but I’ve loved Louis since we came together. He was just eighteen but he made me feel safe, special. Like when he looked in my eyes he saw the whole world in the palm of his hand. I want the sassy, cheeky, mischievous little shit Louis back. But even if he’s it the same I don’t want a day to pass again without him. Even this broken Louis.”

Tony does the strangest thin Harry could image as Harry lost his fight to ward off his tears for Louis. Tony goes to Harry and hugs him. He patiently waits until Harry has control of himself. With that Tony keeps a hold on Harry and talks to him in a calming voice, just like the one he’s used during the night when Louis was panicking. 

“You need to go back to bed. Be with Louis. Can’t have him waking alone after last night. Okay, you can do that. Later when he’s preoccupied with archery we can talk. Figure out about Simon. What you as a band can do to move forward, maintain the success you’ve all worked for. Jared is mine to deal with. I’m fairly certain he’s trying to hack and it’s fortunate that this little earpiece lead to discovery of that. I need to work though. You look after our boy.” 

Harry feels great hearing Tony say “our boy”. Better too that Tony trusts him to be there for Louis’ needs. 

*** 

Hours later the afternoon sun has made for an extremely hot day. Harry wants to be ready to talk with Tony when Hawkeye arrives which is likely very soon. He comes in from out at the pool where he, Louis, the other three who are visiting again were hanging out getting more reacquainted. 

Zayn come is a few seconds later for more lemonade. 

Hearing the door Harry runs to it and sure enough it’s Hawkeye. Tony comes up from below where he’d been continuing his work on the challenge of Jared’s intent. As the three round the corner to the main room there Zayn is standing behind a counter. From Hawkeye’s view it looks like Zayn is naked, like Harry had been the day before given the counter blocks sight of Zayn’s swim shorts. 

Hawkeye looks at Tony and says, “You aren’t starting a collection are you? Beautiful boys? We were all used to the multiple women at once thing but this is something else.” 

Tony laughs, “No. I’m reformed.” Hearing that, thinking about the events of the night before Harry raises a questioning eyebrow. Tony winks at him. 

Zayn comes around from the counter and calls out to Louis that his mentor has arrived. It’s getting on to when they should be leaving anyway so after introductions Zayn, Niall and Liam go. It seems no one is surprised when Harry elects to stay. Least of all Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Major character death still on the table.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update is a small piece of essential plot advance followed by a huge, unnecessary dump of smut. It’s really, really shamefully gratuitous, dedicated to “silent reader” requesting after reading Chapter 40.  
> ***

A few more days pass with things developing into a new routine.

Guests come by daily. Guests being Niall, Liam and Zayn who come to swim between little sessions of reviewing Louis’ life with him in small, digestible bits as to keep from having Louis confront things-Simon. The hope that the time will help Louis enough for him to rejoin them. Most imprortant is also for Louis to go home. Break the nightmare of his status as missing for his family. 

Hawkeye is also a daily guest. He seems to be enjoying working with Louis on archery as much as Louis enjoys learning it. At one point Hawkeye says about this to the watching group of Louis’ friends “This is kind of like offsetting my frustration that I have all these kids at home and not a single one of them has any interest in shooting, so Louis is becoming like a son to me.”

While Hawkeye, Liam, Zayn or Niall are guests, Harry has become a fixture. He’s literally moved into the house going out only on short occasions. The news of Harry Styles coming and going from the home of Tony Stark is not lost on the paparazzi. They, however, keep their distance because Tony resets his security system to provide them with targeted annoyance that pushes them further away than their legal rights allow. Before the snappers learned to stay far far away from entrance to Tony’s front drive the vermin photographers took a little bit of evidence of a contact between Infamous Stark and Charismatic Harry Styles to launch a massive campaign fueling new rumors. 

Original rumors that the long speculated role of Harry playing a part in Louis’ disappearance blows up to greater, more sinister speculation and conspiracy. If someone was to want to get close to Harry, assume a relationship with Styles, who better to make a famous secret boyfriend vanish than a man of skills and resources like those of Tony Stark?

It’s not lost on anyone of those in the small circle of people who know Louis is alive that some of the speculation may be driven by an anymous source which they suspect to be Simon. Simon, the boy’s learned, had been officially blocked from any future interactions with 1D. Michael, James and Tom found it all a little too suspicious how Simon reacted to Louis and how Louis reacted to Simon. Deciding from possible implications of the timing of Louis disappearance, their feeling they could trust Stark over Simon, melding together an injunction to keep Simon from future gains from anything 1D. Meanwhile they encourage the four members of the band to foster a new relationship with recovering Louis. Their hope, in time he’d return.

In the short term while everone is anxious for Louis to decide to take a leap, reveal his status that he is alive, the Daily Mail and TMZ promote a far-fetched story. “Is Tarry the new Larry? And what does this implicate what happened to Louis Tomilinson still missing for over a year?” 

*** 

Somewhere out of the sights of the many who would like to shut him down Jared find the lastest speculation piece about Tarry all too exhilarating. Did Tony really jump from Louis to Harry after the unfortunate passing? Jared turns off the tv he was watching. He feels a little sad that Tony made no effort to compromise and let Louis go like that. To then switch lovers from Louis to Harry was a darker side of Tony than even Jared imagined. How could he be so heartless? Louis was so lovely. Disappointment about bargaining on Louis’ life still bothers Jared. Again he can’t believe Tony played such high stakes. 

In some strange way the regret for his role in killing Louis fuels Jared’s determination. He oddly believes he’s taking revenge now having found that he has a new lust for something he destroyed. So he tinkers. His trying to construct a fix for enabling an assault upon Stark. Something that allows him to comprise Tony, pulls him out of his Ironman suit. 

*** 

Perhaps it was that he said Louis was like a son to him. He’s not sure. 

What was the offer? It really didn’t matter because Hawkeye could not oblige. He was the last of the four of them to arrive for Tony’s boy’s night offer. “Don’t miss it.” Promised by To y for the evening was “the best time ever”. 

The scene Stark’s that Hawkeye walks in on is something far different than Hawkeye ever expected. 

Jim’s big black dick is in Louis’ beautiful ass. The other three are framing Jim and Louis. They are naked, dicks in one hand. Banner and Cap are using their other hand to caress over Louis’ bare skin. Surrounding Louis as they are they offer coos of encouragement as he is on hands and knees taking Jim’s fury up the ass. Tony is in front of Louis, the boy’s hair in his hand as he’s guiding Louis’ actions pulling on hair as Louis is sucking his dick. It’s boys night. Best time ever. 

It’s pretty addictive watching the contrast of the beauty of Louis’ golden skin, gleaming with perspiration as Jim’s slicked, ebony cock slides in and out. 

Tony is loving watching this from the tone of his comments. 

“So love watching daddy’s pretty golden boy getting his pink hole stuffed with my friend’s big black cock while my boy takes my cock so well with his pretty mouth. So pretty to watch you like this, black and gold. Black and gold, sucking off daddy so good.” 

It’s surprising how hard Jim is fucking the boy. Louis must like it because of how he arches his back to present himself more for Jim. All the while he works on Tony’s cock choking on it sometimes but moaning like he wants it to be more a part of him. 

Cap is a complete surprise. He has a hand alternating between traversing over Louis’ back, to making swipes at slapping Louis’ bum, to playing with Louis’ balls as he encourages both Louis and Jim. “Pretty sweet ass, so gorgeous. Fill him so nicely Jim, get him juicy and loose.” 

Hawkeye never gave prior thought to the effects of the full range of changes in Cap’s physique from his transformation that made Captain America. From the looks of it, with him aroused and waiting, the effects are comprehensive. Cap is extremely well hung. 

Jim’s hands go the clap on both hips when he shouts out he’s coming. Clamped onto hips that nails bite into Jim fills Louis deep to the vocal applause of his friends. His dump makes Louis pop off Tony and drop his head. Tony cums too. With head bowed Louis’ back takes the spray from Tony. 

Jim pulls out and rotates away. Cap steps behind. Pulling cheeks apart so he can immediately inspect Louis’ hole cum oozes. Delighted at the sight he releases the hold. He slaps Louis’ bum lightly like to tell a breathless Louis to liven up. There’s more to come. 

“Sweet thing ready for fresh cock?” 

Louis looks up at Tony who is gently touching Louis’ face with a look of prideful admiration. Tony nods for permission seeing the acceptance in his boy. The need to please becomes evident. 

“Please. More please.” Louis says confirming this. He sounds almost frail in his gaspy three words so his throat must be raw but Louis teasingly wags his bum like he wants it. 

Jim notices Hawkeye as his post-climax head clears. He invites Hawkeye to join in. Cap pulls Louis up from the stance of hands down, bum up. He wants this to be good for Louis. Louis so small, two men having been in him before Cap, yet Cap fears Louis is still so tight. The position Cap chooses is to bring Louis onto his lap facing away from him because as pretty as the face, Cap wants to see this bottom take his cock. Jim helps guide the head of Cap’s engorged dick to get a start. 

It beautiful to watch Louis slide down after a slight rest to adjust to Cap’s girth. Louis’ thighs are so defined with muscles when he works like this. He opts to bare his weight so as to keep from taking the entire thing at once which just makes him all the more pretty the way he arches back extending back to Cap’s chest. He maintains holding his bum hovering so most of Cap’ length is visible in the space between them for those enjoying the show. Louis isn’t holding back though. He looks Tony in the eyes to say “this” is his, he plays with hip rolls as if for getting started, taking such big cock requires his conservative approach. He bites his lips showing it’s a strain, but keeps staring at Tony. “Am I pleasing you.” his eyes must say because Tony caresses his face more and says out loud to the unspoken question, “Yes, cock goddess, you please me. You please me very much. You please all of us.” 

Banner is off the far side of the pair where he’s facing Hawkeye who maintains a place far back from the offering. Banner has got a hand on Cap’s back to help Cap in his seated upright torso posture with legs extending straight out in front of him where Louis straddles above them. Maybe it’s that Cap enjoys the feel of Tony’s cum between them with the contact of Louis’ arched back laying on his chest as Louis works his shallow cock riding so he not hurt himself. Also it may be that Cap likes having the access to shoulders to bite. Indeed he’s marking them. Nippping skin, Louis if Louis doesn’t yelp he follows nips with licks and kisses. If Louis winches or protest Cap leaves the skin unsoothed, red and raw. 

Jim is finding new pleasure in licking, biting and twisting Louis’ tiny nipples. He comments, “Gonna be grateful I fucked that hole open before Cap, Little One. So small, so tight. So sweet. He’d ruin you...” 

With this Jim’s dark hands sweep over Louis’ frame, torso with visible ribs, so delicate and fabulous makes the appearance of contrasts between Louis and his four lover’s all the more exciting. 

Louis slowly begins attempting posting on Cap. His face gets a blissfullness like this massive cock is his. He owns Cap. His own dick becomes fully erect, it wags slapping his belly from time to time. It seems he ignores how he is being punished with Cap’s size without even seating very deep on it. This is pretty obvious because Louis can’t seem to fill himself with it very much yet he refuses to stop. Tony knows this is the innately competitive side of Louis. A fighter. Out matched with Cap’s size Louis transcends. Focuses. For the most part he works the upper half of Cap’s dick with rolling and swirling hips. Sometimes Louis uses the visual his presentation offers Cap to weaken Captain America. He leans forward so Cap gets a full view of how his big knob is just there, just inside his hole before he rocks back taking the view away. All of the men murmur to him; it’s fabulous how pretty he is riding dick like this. 

Stepping away briefly Tony comes to Hawk and says, “Late to the party you might get sloppy seconds, or fifths. His mouth is always so very good too, come get some.” 

That said Tony leaves Hawkeye standing there a little agast going back to his boy. 

Tony encourages Louis as he returns to him. Banner has moved to turn Louis’ head to offer him dick maybe because he heard Tony offering Louis’ mouth to Hawk. Maybe he just doesn't want to wait untouched by Louis for his turn of last. Banner is kind. So maybe it’s that he wants Louis to know how big the one is that’s coming for him next. His erect cock is, after all, very befitting of the man who is the hulk. His dick could be the one to break Louis. 

Louis takes what he’s offered. He licks precum off the slit first. He sucks on each side to the slit looking like it’s the best thing his lips have pressed against. As he takes the head and drops into the act despite how far from much of it length can fit in Louis’ mouth. Banner is careful to assist, to let Louis engulf what he can. Banner watches closely Louis’ face. He pulls himself out with frequent breaks to the cadence if he sees tears fall down flawless cheekbones. It looks for certain that this withdrawal he makes is in part for keeping Louis from choking and in part because his slit it beading more profusely like he’s needing his turn with more and more urgency. 

Meanwhile it’s a continuation of Louis posting, rolling hips, swirling on Cap’s dick. Cap is tortuously encouraging Louis by making red skin more bruised and burnished. Jim is stimulating Louis too. He is making Louis’ nipple near ready to bleed. This is when Tony takes to his knees his face going to Louis’ pelvis front. He takes Louis’ pretty cock in hand and begins sucking Louis off while playing with Louis’ balls with his other hand. 

Such it is. It’s four of them on Louis when Louis comes. He’s loud as soon as the Banner-dick frees his lips. Jim and Tony break away as Louis fails in his attempts to come while not so deeply penetrated. Louis accidentally perhaps fills himself with almost the entirety of Cap. Filling such sudden intensity, Cap releases. 

“Fucking goddess for cock, sweet creature. Fucking goddess.” Cap says dumping his load into Louis. Cap finishes, falls back overwhelmed with the power of his orgasm to lay flat out exhausted. Satisfied to the point of immobilized. He lets Tony, Jim and Banner field taking care Louis who he has abandoned. 

The other three tenderly lay Louis on his back helping him like he is a precious thing. 

For several minutes the three of them only kiss over Louis’ body lightly. They speak of him, to him, with reverence. For them “he’s so pretty”. For all of them he’s been “so tight”, “so hot”, “so, so perfect”. They sweep their hands along his thighs, his chest, his delicate frame in wonderment. Placing tender kisses on prominent hip bones, his ribs, collarbones or other spectacular places while they remind him he Is perfect. 

As this happens Steve lays there on his back somewhat still immobile from how sensational that felt. He’s needs to share his feeling about the breakthrough experience.The first thing Cap says when he can speak of how amazing that fuck was gets a knowing laugh and a nod from concurring Jim and Tony. Cap’s comment seemed to have been directed for Banner’s benefit who is still urgently waitng with his dick in hand. 

The next thing Cap says through a smile is directed at the room at large. “And so now I too, am admittedly full on gay for Louis.”

Banner tries to speak up about his hestitation but he looses his words. It’s a combination of what Steve said “gay for Louis” and what he knows of himself. He loves Natasha. He spectacular ass, her lips, her everything. He’s in a committed relationship with her. Nothing can compare to that.

Then conflicted Banner looks at Louis and what his friends have done to Louis; what Louis has done to them. Cap is flat out, still trying to get off his back from the exhilaration of the cock riding beauty. Tony and Jim are looking more and more with to Banner expectantly. Is he joining? Or can they take his turn and have Louis again in an endless orgy of trades of Louis.

Louis has his legs sprawled out with little appearance of intending to move. He’s pretty and obviously wrecked. Jim, Tony and the slowly stirring Cap all give Louis more tender compliments. He’s sweet, they say. And he’s perfect covered in the scent of them. Banner can see how Louis’ hole still dribbles a viscous cum. He’s taken loads from Tony, Jim and Cap.

Louis does the unexpected. He turns to look at Bruce.

His hand drifts to reach for Banner.

Banner meets Louis’ eyes which he notes, despite fatigue, are like deep-blue pools of welcoming desire.

“Fuck me, please. Need the burn of you filling me.”

Banner moves closer so a delicate hand reaching for him finds Banner’s erection. Louis’ hand’s contact with Banner causes an incineration sensation shocking through him.

Banner lets his hands slide on Louis, Banner’s hands parting Louis’ thighs where they are most thick. It’s like Natasha. Curvy thick thighs.

He feels compelled to move them a little to mKe room, to enjoy feeling up thighs, parting them wider still to look with face close to Louis hole that he can access now to lick cum out of it left by the others. He finds Louis’ hole is gapping. Cum continues to streak down in a slow flow. Banner takes one lap into Louis which is so easy because he’s wrecked. Tasting the remains of the other three he feels all of them on his tongue.

Louis meeting his eyes. He reaches down and his fingers brush against Banner’s face before he picks up some jizz from inside himself. He puts his fingers in his mouth and hums an exaggerated pleasure for the taste of them. 

Looking to Banner after removing his fingers Louis says softly, “It’s okay,” sincere desire in his voice, “fuck me.”

Banner gets up over Louis while maintaining eye contact. He knows before he touches it that his knob is wet, slick, sensitive. He fears he’s still much to big. He barks for some lube despite how wet Louis is with the ejaculation of the others in him. Banner has never had boy ass like this. Sure Natasha has offered for him to fuck that hole, but he thought she was only being kind. Her vagina is better suited to his size. 

But here is this boy. Beautiful. Wanting Banner’s cock. His best friends pushing them on.

Banner gets forward so that he can enter Louis who is facing up at him. Banner worries, unlike how Cap made it so Louis had the power bottom position was the best way for not forcing too much, this seems risky. Louis whispers “it’s okay, fill me.” 

Louis’ hand begins to guide Banner’s dick. It’s insane how small his hand is. He can’t even grip its girth very well. “It’s okay.” Louis says again. He looks pleased to hold Banner in his hand. 

The heat and tightness of entering Louis’ body immediately makes Banner wonder if he could hold off. He wants to plow into the welcoming boy. It’s the way Louis is so so so pleasingly hot, tight. sweet. He’s even clamping his thighs against Banner to reassure him to stay there, even while a massive knob, a giant dick, is pushing in ever so slightly deeper. Slowly. Tenderly but filling someplace that seems all to small.

It’s Louis asking that breaks Banner’s wavering thoughts of whether he should pull out before he looses it.

“Please. It’s okah. Fuck me.”

Louis grips Banner tighter with his thighs. This action makes the thigh’s trembling a sensation one Banner can feel. Louis sees a Banner’s detection of what Louis can’t control so Louis’ hands quickly go to Banners back. He pulls Banner to keep him from pulling away. Louis even tries to rock his body for making Banner’s cock feel his body welcoming him. Tony comes beside Louis to wipe sweat from Louis’ face and kisses his forehead. 

“Beautiful cock goddess, gonna feel this one for weeks, baby.” 

Hawkeye wishes that Banner will get off Louis, get out of him. Apparently the others are aroused from the way Louis is fighting to take a reluctant Banner. Their delight is again in their hands as they are jerking themselves. All of them are beading precum. 

“Fuck him nice.” 

“Feel his body unravel deep inside him.” 

“He wants it filling him, fill his hole for the team.” 

It’s the sound of Louis whimpering as Banner begins his trusting. That is what wakes Hawkeye from his dream. In his dream he was just preparing shout how Banner was breaking Louis, Louis like a son to him, not to hurt him. 

Finding himself a sweaty mess and sadly touting a semi from a reptilian-like response to graphic sex even if offensive, Hawkeye finds his commlink and calls Tony. It’s the middle of the night but Hawkeye is mortified. 

“Hey Tony. Yes, I know. 3AM right,” Hawkeye says, “but we’re you... sleeping? No? I kinda felt like you might be awake, doing something. Someone. That is actually why I’m calling. Before, when I left earlier today, we spoke about what needs to happen to get Louis home, to his family. You told me you felt like you’re sliding into a place that’s not healthy because your obsession with Louis is making you have dreams. Weird dreams. Some dream you had about him in an orgy with the 1D boys, that sort of thing. That idea woke me up in a sweat just now because I think that what that means is that we really have to get moving on this getting Louis home thing. I know I was mistaken when I saw Zayn that one day and thought he as naked, like Harry had been, I said something like you’re collecting these boy toys. But I’m concerned somethings, maybe not that, but other things, might happen. You know? Because everybody loves Louis.” 


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The goal of a longer update vexed me! I had sections written, the too short kind of updates, that had they been posted individually I would not have accidentally deleted a good part worked so hard on! Insert screams...
> 
> Fortunately finding it in history, before leaving ao3, enabled doing screen shots and got most of it saved that way. Then had to transcribe it to paper....by hand!!!and retype it...insert more screams...and alas, days later here we are. 
> 
> Oh and I’m just updating with the restored stuff. This makes a weird placement (mid-sex) of a break. Forgive me I’ll finish the smut with the next update to avoid another big ufck up. Hope you like it enough to hang in there with me!  
> ***

The key to taking Louis to Doncaster seemed to be securing the company of Harry and Hawkeye for the trip. Without them Louis simply felt he couldn’t do the trip yet. Both Hawkeye and Harry are completely thrilled to accompany Tony and Louis for their own individual reasons. 

For some inexplicable reason Hawkeye can’t help but worry. He wonders if his Louis-orgy dream which paralleled Tony’s 1D-orgy dream and this is why he has this bad feeling about a trip even though he wants Louis to make it, and the sooner the better. Hawkeye dismisses his hunch about something bad happening deciding it’s the feeling of dread about Simon seeping into his subconscious. Adding to that Hawkeyes knows the seed for the idea of multiple partners with Louis is rooted in the history Louis had with Simon, where he was used by Simon and Paul. The expectation of no Simon anywhere near Louis when he goes to England is riding on the ability of Michael, Tom and James to make sure Simon keeps his distance. Hawkeye wants to accompany to add another layer of anti-Simon security.

Harry has frequent daydreams about the prospect of showing Louis how Louis’ family knows Harry to be Louis’ secret, but authentic, boyfriend. It’s been only just placating for Harry to be with Louis at Tony’s after so long living with the mystery and pain of Louis’ disappearance. To be a part of Louis’ life again on any terms, even though Harry is somewhat a third wheel, is better than being only a suspect in the world view while slowly wilting on the inside from his secret lover’s grief. So Harry is happy just to be with Louis day and night. Nevertheless same as Hawkeye, Harry too has some feeling of dread about their trip which begins with a stop in London instead of a direct path to Doncaster.

They are first off to London where Harry understands some brilliant doctor, Helen Cho, who restored Louis’ sight is set up in one of her labs. She wants to do a follow up exam on Louis. Something Harry overheard when Tony was privately talking to her by something like an Avenger FaceTime. She was speaking to Tony as she was leaving Vancouver to go to London, she said she looked forward to seeing them there. 

What Cho says next to Tony about Louis makes Harry feel anxious. She tells Tony how the reality might be that Louis might not ever get memories back. Harry fears without remembering their shared love Louis will forever be more Tony’s than his. He might never come back to the band. He might never remember the proposal; a marriage they promised they’d share someday when the stakes for the band weren’t so volatile. Sometime when the world is not so hostile to their kind of love.

So why the dread?

For certain Tony was not having second thoughts. He is organized, direct and most importantly very sensitive to the support Louis needs. As hours pass and the time to go gets closer Tony keeps giving Louis more and more tender support. 

When Harry sees Tony take Louis hand and slip away together to go to their room he knows it’s not to check their bags for travel necessities. Harry sulks but respects, Louis wants some time alone with Tony. Emotional support with some sex thrown in.

Needing a destraction Harry goes to find Hawkeye who is down below in Tony’s workshop. Walking into the massive subfloor lair Harry is intimidated. It’s surreal the range of tech Tony has in the works. The way he has a holographic interface with his program, Jarvis, who apparently runs everything regardless of where Stark is. 

Harry approaches Hawkeye who is organizing some small case which has a collection of arrows. The child-size arrows have Harry curious. Hawk greats Harry who immediately asks. 

“Why are those for?”

“These? These are for the just in case, and no I don’t mean I’m planning to take out Simon with them. If I do that it will be hands around his throat. No, these are for the whatever.”

Harry doesn’t see the arrows as being security. He wonders if they should have Paul. The subject of that was dismissed early on in planning their trip because Tony wanted to keep their group small. 

Hawkeye snaps the case on his forearm showing Harry how it fits like an archery arm guard but has the arrows on the outside of his arm. He then takes a small tripod like device in his bow hand. With a snap the device pops out into a full size bow. Pulling out one of the Cupid-like arrows he inserts it and instantly it telescopes into three times it’s stored length. 

“So you see Harry. It’s very tight and innocent looking for keeping low profile but this is every bit as lethal.”

Harry nods. Having such hig tech security should ebb away the dread. Instead Harry feels the hair on the back of his neck raise. He almost says something to Hawkeye about it. Instead he asks the one thing that’s still unclear.

“Cool. That’s cool. The thing I still don’t get is how are we getting over there? Didn’t Tony say flying? Shouldn’t we be worried that airports will give out flight information. I mean every private jet I’ve been on files a flight plan somewhere.”

To answer the question Hawkeye takes Harry down the next flight of stairs. It the base floor that leads to the extensive collection of Tony Stark’s sport cars. Sure enough in the expansive space behind all the cars is an aircraft that looks part jet, part helicopter, part metallic eagle. 

As Harry gapes at the magnitude of its techy-futuristic marvel Hawkeye puts an arm on Harry's shoulder in a casual, assuring way. “We don’t need a flight plan when we have one of these. With this, leaving in the middle of the night, we won’t be seen. We’ll be in London before you even feel the need to loosen your seatbelt. The building that houses Cho’s London research facility has a private heliport on the roof. If we choose we can be here, there, back again and never need to touch the street level publically.”

Harry is comforted. Still questions rattle in his head. “But we will. We will go streetside, won’t we. Tony still wants us to walk out in public view for sake of showing the world me, Louis and he are in one place together, right? To end the speculation before we go to Doncaster so it’s not a complete shock for his family. That is what our team set up, right?”

“That’s right. Give the world a clue. One person at The Guardian has been tipped off to the time you will be walking out onto the sidewalk of a busy street in a London. No details will be leaked until we have Louis checked by Cho. Only as we move to get him to his family. With a supporting picture in The Guardian, James, Tom and Michael will release the news with the prepared company line. It’s orchestrated for both your protection. Don’t tell me your nervous. How can you be with Ironman at your side?”

Hawkeye says the flippant question and turns away. In his head he’s asking himself that in a not sarcastic way. “How can I be so nervous for them with Ironman at my side?”

*** 

The party of four arrive in London where Hawkeye lands the craft on the roof. Hawkeye is correct that no normal radar systems had tracked them. For certain military type systems did. 

Entering Cho’s London research facility, Harry feels the same intimidation he felt in Tony’s although the look of her work shows a more medical focus. 

For Louis’ part he shows little of the nervousness Harry expects. If anything he seems peaceful. Maybe he’s internalizing the events ahead. The only indication of some nerves, about this exam or seeing his family, is how he keeps his hand in Tony’s and tucking himself into Tony anytime they stop as the group’s walk along with Cho giving them a brief tour while she explains what she’s going to look for in a scan of Louis’ brain.

When Louis presses tight to Tony it gives him an all the more adorable look of vulnerability. Wearing skinny jeans with the hem rolled up, black adidas shoes, a vintage white Jimmy Hendricks tee under a black, fleece-lined denim jacket he looks unable to stand still unless he has Tony to rest against, hold on to, his hand always seeking to slip inside the hold of Tony’s. On his head he’s wearing a berry-colored knit beanie. A few locks of hair poke out and they add to his very pixie-like vulnerability.

“...so Louis this is just that simple and painless. You only have to lay still for me, no medications, no need to disrupt your state of consciousness, in fact we’ll be causally talking through the entire thing. You don’t even have to remove you’re beanie if you like. Just relax, let me see what the scan shows.” Cho says.

That seems to be the que that the thing the doctor has pulled from the wall that lights up when activated with a blue luminescence and resembles a giant floating donut is ready to go. Louis needs to lay on a small exam bed that comes off a pedestal from the floor. 

Louis looks around. He sees a lot of things in this room that are very medical. Surgical even. For a second it seems he’s flashing images of Frankenstein because his golden skin goes a little pale and his eyes skip around with some frenzy. 

Looking outside this room through massive windows that act as walls other scientist can be seen working on projects with little concern about this small, rather famous group with Helen. Harry looks at them, some in full white lab clothes, some with goggles, other not. Some with face masks. Others without. Harry knows Louis grew up with his mum working at the hospital frequently having to have a caretaker drop him off to her there if she was running late with a patient or seeing someone for extra care because she was so important to her patients. 

Harry goes to Louis and takes Louis’ face in two tenderly framing hands letting Louis continue his hand hold on Tony, a hand that Harry imagines might be sweating.

“So don’t look at all that out there. Don’t look at all the things on benches here. Look at me. Look at Tony. Hawkeye and his silly Cupid-arrows. We’re all here for you.”

Louis closes his eyes in a slow deliberative blink. He holds them closed for a split second such that the way his full, long lashes fan over his flawless skin makes Harry faint with a want to kiss them, kiss the lush lashes as if they are butterflies.

Louis opens his eyes. They have a glassy, blue quality like tears are floating in them but not so pronounced as to fall.

“What are you afraid of?” Harry asks but proceeds without waiting for a reply. “You grew up with a mom who worked as a nurse you’re entire life. You found yourself being dropped off to her there throughout childhood. You grew into the big brother who’d take your little sisters to see Jay at the hospital when her work kept her there late, after school, on your way home with them to baby sit. I don’t see anything here to be afraid of, especially this glowing donut thing and this pretty, little, Korean genius doctor!”

Louis makes an almost-smile but it’s a tellingly strained smile.

He closes his eyes again and a few tears flow. Harry keeps Louis’ face in his hands his thumbs brushing away each tear as it falls. Tony fills in the space behind Louis pressing to his back while placing kisses on the beanie felling he should let Harry continue to field this anxiety attack.

“It’s, it’s just, wha...what if I don’t ever get any memory of that. Of me mum. Sisters...you?” Louis says with a shakiness to his words.

Maybe Harry shouldn’t do what his impulse tells him to do but he does. He presses Louis with a kiss fully giving no uncertainty that Louis is properly being kissed. Harry pretty sure he feels Louis knees get weak before he releases. It feels so good having Louis give to him that he can’t resist going back to kiss Louis again. This time his hands drift over Louis from face to whole body. Finding Tony hasn’t pulled away finally doesn’t bother Harry so much. Having Louis confess his confusion Harry decides he can live with it. This. Whatever this is. Louis as his and his other lover’s. Anything to please Louis. 

When they break apart the second time Louis looks at the little bed. He finally goes to it. He sits. His legs dangle from it adding to his small, pixie like appearance. The tip of his nose is red from the tearing. It’s entirely all too cute.

*** 

As soon as Louis got the clear to get off the tiny exam table he makes one hop, followed by a giant leap straight into Tony. 

Harry was hoping that would be him. But there is Louis having lept onto Tony, Louis’ arms going around Tony’s neck. Legs wrapping around Tony’s waist. Lips smashing on Tony’s so hard it makes Harry’s hurt to watch them. 

Tony turns a few times as he invests himself fully despite the instability Louis’ energy forces on the passionate embrace. At one point Tony nearly falls backwards when his tipsy moves runs them into some sort of equipment. Purposefully Tony breaks their passion for a second only to say a quick thing to the three onlookers.

”Excuse us! Bathroom, sorry, back soon!” 

Once Tony has carried Louis into the bathroom Tony sets Louis down on a counter that is backed by a wall to ceiling mirror. It’s a state of the art bathroom. Tony just hopes Hawkeye, or someone, has taken up century at the door because no sooner does he have Louis’ bum on the counter than Louis throws aside everything he is wearing from the waist up as he strips off the clothing like they are giving him an offensive case of the hives. 

The behavior Louis displayed once Cho finished the exam has a feel to it of Louis acting on impulse by a need to make a stand on something. Something he said while Cho casually engaged him, the two talking while she took her readings. Did Louis worry he hurt someone’s feelings? 

Maybe so. 

For the moment Tony doesn’t give the question a thought. Louis has moved from his hands undoing his own pants to fingering with the closure to undo Tony’s as he is urgently professions his needs.

While pulling Tony’s unfastened pants to expose Tony’s bum and pelvis Louis kisses underneath Tony’s jaw mumbling his desire between each kiss. “Need you to fill me with this cock of yours.” There’s another kiss. “Need you and me.” And anotherset of kisses. “Safe.” Louis says with emphasis before he sucks skin where his lips land near Tony’s Adam’s apple.

Louis stops nuzzling Tony. “Fill me.” Louis says while making direct eye contact. 

Marching orders. 

With Louis leaning back where he sits perched on the counter, his bare back pressing against mirror on the wall behind him. It must be cold because his nipples instantly get goose bumps around them, Tony observes this as he shreads Louis’ pants off. Louis nude, needing a good fucking, compels Tony to drop to his knees on the floor. He parts Louis’ legs. Kneeled between them, Tony takes his sweet time sinking on the pretty virgining erection Louis is sporting. Tony loves the feel of it growing in his mouth. 

Once Tony licks up the erection a few times, sensitizes Louis’ dick with a few skin sucking kisses, he follows that with running his tongue on skin along the underside of the erection where a hint of a vein announces the building arousal. Tony moves to lick Louis’ balls next taking specific care to tickle the underside of them with his tongue like he knows Louis loves so very, very much. Following a few lengthy pumps of Louis’ dick with his saliva wetted hand, Tony has Louis wiggling down the counter so Tony has better access to prepping him. 

With Louis’ erection full and red, his slit glistening, Tony drapes each of Louis’ legs over each of his shoulders providing Louis stability on the counter and Tony full access to Louis’ pretty hole. Licking into it with full, wet laps he tries to make this fast. The thought occurred to him that surely outside of this bathroom aggravation must by now be radiating from the thre they abandoned for this selfish delay. 

Tony presses that thought away. He refocuses on pleasing Louis. 

With Louis’ thighs on either side of his head Tony feels them revealing Louis’ heightened state of arousal. Thighs begin to quiver more and more from sensations of being eaten out. The pronounced is quivering accompanied by increasing moans. Once Tony can fully introduce one finger into Louis he does so, impatiently perhaps, for he too can feel his own burning need. 

Leaving Louis beautifully wanting and bare as he steps up letting Louis’ legs drop off his shoulders to admire his work. The transformation is fabulous. Louis has goosebumps no more. Now he’s flushed. His recline on the expansive counter has an effect of making Louis look a mix of small and vulnerable and somehow regal. Like he owns Tony. Well, yes, because he absolutely does. 

Tony stands there between Louis’ legs and checks the resistance of his finger from Louis’ body again. He ignores Louis’ encouraging him to put something more filling in him. This garners Tony a disappointed “grumfff” noise from Louis as he leaves Louis for a split second. 

“Pretty thing, patience. You’re still so tight. We need something, some lotion perhaps...” Tony says as he gets something from the supplies on the far side of the counter. It looks like clinical grade lotion. Given the restroom is in a medical technology facility this makes sense. 

“Let’s try this! It says ‘fragrance free’. Let’s hope it’s safe for lubrication.”

Tony is pleased with his efforts to be fast with sex but when he turns back he finds a pixie staring at him with a sassy displeasure for what was a split second of abandonment. 

Perhaps Louis has so easily become too accustom to the recent trend of two lover’s tending to him? His brows are furrowed as he stares at Tony like he’s thinking too much. He is wanking his dick with one small, delicate hand in an angry sort of cadence, the kind of thing reminiscent to the move of a cat flicking their tail before they pounce on an offending thing.

“Would you please get to it.” Louis says tersely. 

Tony loves Louis like this. Demanding sex. Needing it. Agitatedly pumping his cock while sassing his top for a good dicking; such a perfect power bottom. 

The lotion has a nice consistency to with a few strokes to rub it over his length Tony plops some on Louis’ entrance to which Louis hisses “It’s cold!” He leaves his comment at that as Tony presses the head of his cock, which feels hot, into the lotion to spread it using his warmth to placate Louis as Tony hushes him.

Louis arches his back while reclining so he is pleasing for Tony in his perch on the counter. His hands grip the ledge, his face shows his desire. Louis says eagerly, “Fill me, fill me please with that big, fat dick of yours. Never want anything again to...don’t want to forget the way you fuck me so good.” 

Is Louis referring to his forgetting Harry? How all he retains is feelings, impressions? Likely from Cho’s exam the news is those shadows of his past are all he will ever have of the deeply significant experiences with family, with Harry. 

For some reason this is disturbing to Louis. Tony knows it as he slowly begins to push into the tight, tight wall of muscles. As he makes Louis strain a little to take him he sees in Louis’ face it’s the lingering disappointment from when Cho finished. Louis wanted a path to the facts of his life. He wants to remember. Tony thinks about this as he slides in deeper ever so slightly, an inch or two of blissful perfection. Clearly, Louis wants to remember the first time he felt this with Harry. Their first touch. Their first kiss. Their story of them, secret and sweet. Special and hidden. 

Then it occurs to Tony as he goes slowly deeper, watching for Louis’ degree of pleasure, did Louis leap off the table and into Tony’s arms because he was leaping into what is the only positive memory he has? All of love he’s know is in Tony?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope to get the continuation of the smut up very soon. And finish the tags.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first few lines of the chapter have a rewrite of sorts of the last two paragraphs of the previous chapter as a repeat for ease of read for you since I broke the section in a weird place. (There is a lot of critical, though subtle, plot embedded in this smut.) Thanks for reading/kudos/comments!
> 
> ***

Tony knows as he begins a slow push into Louis’ tight, tight wall of muscles how Louis is disheartened that he’s might never remember his family, Harry, home. Louis wanted that. His excitement turned to nervousness then to disappointment. Tony considers this as he sinks deeper ever so slightly, taking an inch or two of blissful perfection. Is Louis creating from this with him a fantasy of what it might have been like his first time with Harry? Is he lingering over recreating through Tony an idea of his and Harry’s their first touch; was it with Harry like a favorited touch from Tony? Was it something different? 

What about their first kiss? 

Their story of them, is Louis imagining it secret and sweet, exciting because it’s special and protectively hidden? 

Then a new idea occurs to Tony as he goes slowly deeper, watching for Louis’ degree of pleasure. Did Louis leap off the table and into Tony’s arms because he was leaping into what is the only positive memory he has? All of love he’s know is in Tony?

Tony begins to thrust into Louis like each drive is to trust away all thoughts of this; his own, Louis too. He focuses on having Louis feel the pleasure of him. 

Louis has a tight grip on the edge of the counter for anchoring his torso. He’s arching his back so he fits there. The most plump part of his bum bears his weight such that he just fits reclining back and arching into the dicking. He looks fabulous like this, quite unlike anything Tony has ever seen. Tony also considers how this positions them such that any directedness by Tony has each stroke terminating deliciously against the sweet spot. Louis’ position is as favorable for expediency as it is alluring to witness. It allows Tony to make this fast, necessity calls for speed, with a schedule to adhere to. Tony would normally prefer to make love to Louis for hours, not mere minutes, because they abandoned three for this, every thrust into Louis matters. 

Louis is quickly made rosey-hued, glistening. What drives Tony crazy as he enjoys the sensation fucking this boy with more intensity is how beautiful Louis looks from a set of two angles; right before him on the counter and in a reflection looking at the two of them from the mirror. Tony has to pause buried deep in Louis for a moment to selfishly mark golden collarbones, shoulder, neck. Later he’ll be able to look at Louis and see images of them like this from the freshness of his marks. 

Once he’s left his claim on Louis’ skin he looks into Louis’ eyes, the full eye contact reveals a story, though Louis seems needing dismiss it, instead he taunts Tony as he tilts his pelvis so as to make Tony more sensitized. ”Do me with that big cock, do me. Make me come with your dick buried in me, so I never forget the feel of you.” 

The words were spoken with a clear sass, a challenge. And something else. Sending the words through his passion-infused, reddened lips Louis was signaling his hurt. The pain. But when Louis sees Tony look at his mouth, distracted most likely by the look of his bitten-red lips, Louis makes a deliberative, slow suggestion in how he licks his lips. The suggestiveness ensnares Tony. It’s intoxicating, it’s so suggestive. Tony could pull out and fuck Louis’ mouth for the taunt; come down Louis’ throat the fuck him until he comes again from the thrill of coming in Louis twice. 

Instead Tony tries to consider the driver in Louis’ behavior. He stays focused the words Louis said, “so I never forget.” 

Underlying the four words Tony thinks a conflict tearing into Louis. It’s all about Harry. Louis has little chance to remember he and Harry as them. He knows now that their friend wrote “Little Things” and every word that fans fantasize are about Larry did come directly from Sheeran’s study of them; Louis didn’t like the sound of his voice. He worried his jeans were too tight because of his girly-booty, as the group liked to tease him. 

How could Louis forget forever so very much when it’s such a beautiful love story? 

Tony takes Louis’ delicate chin in hand and keeps it held just so as he kisses Louis with a languid tenderness. Only when he feels Louis yield does he part their kiss and resumes slow, carefully seated trusts. He returns to looking at Louis’ tight, little body in both the mirrored image and right before him as he gets into a rhythm. They seem so perfect. Soon Tony has to close his eyes. Two views of one perfection is too much. As he’s fucking he begins to sear from heat, surely the added heat and tightness is Louis coming so Tony lets himself go. 

It’s impossible to have been unheard. Once his own ears stop ringing from filling Louis with his seed he looks down. 

Louis is sweaty, flushed and...oddly... 

...Louis hasn’t come. 

Tony is so shocked from coming without pleasing his bottom first he pulls out with a slurry of jizz slapping the floor under them when his endowed dick slips loose. He’s about to ask Louis for some forgiveness when he feels a hand on his shoulder. 

Tony turns. 

He probably could have just looked in the mirror. 

Standing there is Harry. 

Harry entered quietly. He is also apparently very, very ready. He’s naked, his dick is hard, rock solid hard and in his hand with him running it’s length. His eyes have a crazed sort of want as he wanks himself looking at them with a weirdly beyond his years sort of expression. Harry takes some lotion steps forward almost bumping Tony aside. 

He smiles when he looks down at Louis holding himself on a counter, hard, but unfinished. Sweaty, warmed. Wanting more as his dick stands erect. Louis’ skin has a lovely hue of red flushing over gold. He’s biting his lower lip like he wants to bite back his frustration as he needs to come. 

Touching Louis’ cheekbones Harry’s says, “Tired hanging of on like that?” Harry punctuates his ask as he kisses Louis with one short kiss. Louis acknowledges “yes” wth a head shake while slipping away from the counter to stand to meet Harry. 

The two wrap arms around each other and look like boy-with-boy perfection in every way. 

Tall, lanky Harry, head of long curls, full lips, dimples. Curvy, firm Louis, pixie incarnation, cheekbones of the gods. 

The two finish a lengthy, passion kiss and Harry turns Louis around to face the counter and mirror. Louis’ hands go the mirror covering the wall bracing himself. Harry gently places a hand on Louis’ back suggesting Louis bend forward a little more into the wall over the counter.. 

Louis thrust his plush bum out. Stretching arms up in his slightly bent, hands bracing on the mirror position he looks back at Harry. The way Louis does this says it all. “Fuck me until I remember you.” This time it’s Harry he’s asking. 

With lover’s experience so perfected with their shared history Harry puts his cock against Louis’ dripping hole and plays at bobbing there. 

Louis doesn’t sass. He just gasps, arches back, wiggles his bum into increase the contact with Harry. 

Harry slaps Louis’ bum with a playful tease. “Please, let the worker work. I’m gonna fuck you good.” 

Pushing some in, just a little, lingering there has Louis gasping “please”. 

Harry slaps Louis’ arse again before he pulls one of Louis’ legs up to prop it on the counter. With Louis standing on one leg, the other so stationed, Harry has great access to properly push in Louis’ preciously exposed hole. 

Tony recalls how Simon and Paul pinned Louis between them like that once as they took him with punishing ferocity. This is not the case with Harry. Harry seems to know how much dominance to use, how much tenderness to mix. With Tony having had Louis first Harry can make an immediate start to slide his cock in, thrusting into his lover with ease. As soon as Harry fills Louis, Louis is filling the room with pleads for more, “harder”, “fill me there.” 

Harry gives Louis a good number of impalling upward thrusts. It destabilizes Louis’ feet a couple times but Harry holds on to him to give additional support to Louis’ brace against the mirror wall. Harry’s body reddens fast like he too will come far too quick to fulfill Louis’ needs. To prevent this Harry stops where he’s buried deep. He turns Louis’ face so they can kiss over Louis’ shoulder, the same shoulder branded with marks from Tony. 

Thinking that Louis is tamed a bit by the kiss. Harry resumes his pumping. He’s quick to get lost in it again. Tony can relate. Maybe Harry shouldn’t look at their reflection in the mirror. Or listen to Louis’ moaning, asking, gasping. Harry looks so close to coming so soon. 

Tony decides to jump in. He goes to the floor taking Louis’ beading dick in his mouth and begins to suck it with pulses. One hand goes around Louis to feel to Harry’s ass. His finger rubs into Harry, feeling between cheeks and over Harry’s tight hole. This sends Harry over the edge which perhaps drives Louis into orgasm. 

Tony gets his first swallow of Louis as Harry and Louis come in unison. It’s an impressive duration that Harry fucks Louis through his, their, orgasms. Harry has his arms wrapped around Louis so tight he almost seems to constrict Louis breath. When Harry is finished such that his dick slips out easily from the slick two loads he turns Louis’ face for another kiss. Not to be excluded Tony takes a stand literally, turns Louis’ face back to him and kisses the small one sandwiched between them. Ending their kiss Tony kisses Harry, the two reaching each other over Louis’ shoulder, Louis exhausted and content between them. This is when they hear a gentle call.

At the door, half in and half out. Looking frightened for the shock of Ironman coming off his knees, just having had boyfriend’s dick in his mouth, maybe with a finger in his boyfriend’s ex-lover’s, other lover’s arse, is Hawkeye. 

“Okay. Are we done here?” 

Tony jumps back from the two. Harry stays tight to Louis, kissing the side of Louis’ head, hands running everywhere over Louis like its intoxicating silkiness under his fingers. Tony knows that’s the feel of is, skin like silk it’s so smooth, golden and flawless. 

Wiping his mouth, for Tony knows he has traces in his manicured facial hair, Tony says, “of course.” 

Hawkeye adds, “It’s time. The plan is set. Time to walk onto the street and show all the world there is no ‘Tarry’. Just Harry, Louis, Tony Stark. Then it’s on to Doncaster.”


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I know. It’s short. There’s another update coming verrrrry soon!

Hawkeye retreats.

Tony looks back at the two. Louis resting against Harry. Harry with his arms wrapped around Louis as he lays kisses on Louis’ shoulder allowing Louis to loll against his larger form still too blissed for doing anything else. So much beauty between them. 

So much youth. 

So much ahead of them.

It hits Tony like a ton of bricks. Louis’ And Harry’s position. It’s like the art by Karukara for the fan fiction ‘I Hunger for Your Beautiful Embrace’.

Tony goes to grab some of the plush, disposable towels and soaps. He sets the towels down on the counter where Louis was laying. He goes to his knees and begins to wash Louis. Louis’ legs have splattering of their jizz. His skin has a coating of drying sweat. Tony can’t send Louis out into the world and onto homecoming with his family like he’s been some whore. As he begins to wash Louis with Harry still holding and tenderly nuzzling Louis with post-climatic kisses it prompts Tony.

“This is like the story by Cheshire the Pussycat. Do you know it?” The question goes to Harry. Louis, of courses doesn’t know the story. That aside Louis is still looking completely, beautifully wrecked, his head stil resting back onto Harry’s shoulder. He’s tired. If they were not on a tight schedule Louis would be put to bed after being fucked again before given a prolonged sleep. But no. Schedule to keep.

Harry looks down at the servant-like proned Tony, on his, knees who continues to wash with a loving tenderness, their Louis. 

“I make it a point not to read the fan fiction,” Harry says, “but it’s hard not to accidentally get an eyeful of art sometimes with one minstaken crossing into the realm of fan art. Liam once opened a message from a fan. He happened to be sitting with his father to show him something, quiet innocently. Instead, right there on the computer screen with his father next to him was this fan’s fantasy image. Of Liam and Niall. It was horrendously embarrassing for Liam, Niall sucking Liam off. Liam with his dick up Niall’s arse. Even if you’re het, no one needs their parents to see fan’s interpretations of that. We all were mortified for Liam.” Harry and Tony are both quiet as they let this idea of respect for privacy float between them. Harry wonders if he’s struck a chord too close to what Tony has done. Indulging in fan fiction. Fan art. Feeling guilty he gives up a dark secret. “I did read one fan fiction once though. I was trying to learn what it means by alpha, omega, beta. It was somethung of a recauuring question in signings with fans. So I was curious. Looked up a story. Bad idea. In the story I read I was this brutal alpha. Liam and Zayn were alphas too. Niall was a beta. Of course Louis was a pretty omega we all desired. There was an orgy, of course. It was disturbing to me, I’ve never actually shared Louis since that one time when he was Hanna’s. Never.” 

Tony looks up,at aharry and smiles. It’s nice this kid being so generous about flaws. Even thought Tony can’t really see a single one in Harry. Perfect Harry. What Perfect Louis deserves. 

Furthermore, Tony considers how wise Harry is to stay away from the fan fic rubbish. That was how he accidentally fell in too deep. So deep that now he’s relating his real experience to some fiction written be a fan that was never meant to be anything more than their artistic expression and not for consumption of the people it features, or to hurt them.

Tony finishes his cleaning of his, their, beautiful boy. Still the parallel of how Harry and Louis look together at this instant is so insanely similar to a favorite fiction Tony knows well. The story writes of how Louis is standing being washed in preparation for Harry, the brutal ruler, who had desire for the slave Louis, a new acquisition. The two boys in the flesh is a complete accurate representation of them in that story, as depicted by a fan artists. 

Harry disrupts Tony’s embarrassing thoughts with an admission of his own. It’s like he’s been watching the guilty pleasure conflict written in Tony’s face while Tony worked.

“I have to confess. I did snoop around the other day at your house. It was after we had, well done something like this with Louis. You and Louis went off, I think you said you were ‘just showering’ together. I went to your closet to get something to put on. You know, it was that time when you said a caterer was coming to deliver something, so I needed to answer the door. In the back of the closet I saw these paintings that were facing backwards against the wall. Sort of hidden like you didn’t want them to be seen. I was curious. So I looked at them. The two by Karukara, I’ve seen them before. Kinda like them, but...I knew then, your um, infatuation...goes pretty deep.”

Tony blushes and stands. He takes Louis in arms freeing Harry who gets some clothes and begins sorting them, putting a piece on if it’s his, bringing things to the other two if not.

Louis thanks Harry when Harry hands him something finally becoming slightly cognizant and asks, “What are you even talking about?”

Tony gives Harry a look like to say “please don't” He doesn’t want Harry to reveal things like the pictures in the closet. Instead Tony confesses in generalist terms. “Infatuation is for children. My problem is more of an obsession. I’m obsessed for his happiness.”

Louis pulls on clothes as he gives them a puzzled look. Brain muddled from stress and some satisfyingly intense sex he’s not sure what they are talking about although he thinks it might be him. He’s pretty sure he doesn’t want ask for more definition of their bizarre conversation because there is a hint of tension building.

For the first time Harry is asserting himself, only subtly, which Tony knows and understands why. They are in the motherland. Soon they’ll be in Louis hometown. His actual home. Tony respects Harry for being a man and taking not willing to take backseat to anyone when it comes to Louis. Not even to Ironman.

With everyone dressed, more or less looking normal, they prepare to leave. Tony looks to open the door for Louis who passes though with Harry coming behind. Tony sort of pauses like he’s considering fastening his suit jacket which he is wearing in Stark fashion over a white tee shirt with some band logo so as to be smartly casual but the hesitation is a ruse. Tony steps into Harry as Harry begins to pass him. The assertive move is more to create a private exchange than an affront or a block to intimidate. Speaking in a hushed voice stern because of its sincerity, Tony repeats. “Obsessed. Like I would die for him. For his happiness.”

Following a brief well-wishing send off of goodbye from Cho the four take an elevator down to the ground floor. 

For announcement to the world that Louis Tomlinson is alive the timing is set so that a person from The Guardian gets the first photos. To drawl a random streetside crowd in for the spectacular reveal the plan is for Tony and Harry to step out and linger without Louis at their side for a bit of crowd baiting. It’s expected that pedestrians should quickly come to a halt for photos and autographs like are a constant plague when you are Harry Styles. With a group of witnesses at hand Louis will come out to join them. The shock should be profound. Rumors that Louis was presumably dead, possibly at Harry’s hand, or, as newly speculated, by the hand of Harry’s infamous secret lover, Tony Stark, would die. Some bettter story that seals the band’s status as a global phenomenon was being crafted by Michale, James and Tom. 

*** 


	53. Chapter 53

*** 

Once Harry and Tony are streetside Hawkeye stops Louis to wait where they are separated by two sets of doors from the public. The building has tinted glass that makes it easy to see out, hard to see in. Hawk puts an arm around Louis offering the tenuous boy support. Louis looks to have reservations about this seeing the people walking past, realizing the moment is nearly upon him. 

He’s famous. 

He has fans. 

None of it what Simon suggested was true. That he was nothing more than some whore, some minor porn star who grew up in the streets. The idea that Louis is slut was all a lie made up by Simon to abuse him. Yet the suggestion still haunts Louis. He has not even a single memory that he is a singer, a celebrity, or that contrary to Simon’s suggestion, that people love his voice. Harry in particular loves Louis’ voice. But they’ve just learned from Dr Cho that Louis’ memories are likely to only continue to be impressions. Hunches. Feelings.

Harry and Tony give Louis a comforting nod from the other side of the two set of doors. They had walked out into what is a relatively sunny day on the streets of London.

They are stopped, waiting causally, almost like waiting for a chauffeured car to pull up. Tony puts and arm behind Harry, his hand placed mid-back. They look purposefully like a couple stopped on the red carpet at an awards. In an instant this one move should fuel the gossip of “Tarry”. 

Passersby do come to stop as they happen upon them and gawk. Smart phones start snapping. Seems everyone is a little shy compared to norms maybe because this is Ironman who’s arm Harry is on. Tony is a celebrity too, but as he said to Louis in their first meeting, Tony is “infamous”. Notoriously, not someone to fuck with.

Across the street, set up as planned by Tom, James and Michael is The Guardian photographer. He too is snapping photos.

A few people begin to call out questions to Harry who ignores their questions. Most of the onlookers are busy excitedly commenting to each other or talking on their phones. They are indeed surprised by a public appearance of Tarry around who some controversy and scandal is suggested. 

Once the crowd is fairly large, fully engaged, Tony and Harry turn to look back again at the doors they came through. This is the cue for Louis to come join them. Suddenly with Tony and Harry’s backs turned there is a break in the semicircular line of fans and passersby. Out from the crowd steps an extremely tall figure, dressed in a hooded, floor length, black cloak. When he pushes through the line of people in front of him he is none too gentle. Jarring others aside in his assertive move people comment harshly after his afront but they choke back when the see how insanely tall this form is, dressed much like a wizard from Harry Potter or better yet, like the Grim Reeper. 

Apparently the The Guardian wasn’t the only party to know when and where Stark left to. From the time the aircraft departed the Stark residence in LA one person capable of tracking them was Jared. All the while the four were having a private, secure visit with Cho at her London faculty, Jared was laying in waiting outside. 

Jared can’t be sure what Stark was up to with Cho. He is just so thrilled that Harry is with Stark because if Tony’s Achilles’ heal is now an obsession with pretty boys, that weakness gives Jared an opening for how to take Ironman down. With the distinction being Cho’s lab creates a small additional challenge. He’ll want to take her out too. He’s jealous of her work, perhaps as much as he is Tony’s. 

So it is that Tony and Harry are so focused, straining to see inside through the double doors, willing Louis to come out to join them, sure that Hawkeye is giving Louis the necessary encouragment, that they are oblivious to the strike force that closes in behind them.

When Tony hears something of a distraction, a cry from the crowd it’s the first he realizes their secret surprise excursion has provided some risk not associated with anything like Simon. Tony whips around to see what has people screaming.

Concealed in a long black cloak is Jared’s droid. One of the droid’s large metallic hands is clenching Harry at the intersection of neck to shoulder. The crowd erupting as the droid p appearntly initiated this grip on an unsuspecting Harry from behind. Held in a clench, Harry’s face has gone white. His eyes look glassy. As soon as the droid releases Harry lifelessly he collapses to the ground. All the while Harry’s eyes remain open. 

Swiftly Stark and machine coalesce into one as Tony also activates through Jarvis from his wrist band the sending of the Ironman glove to come to him. It will arrive in a second from the rooftop craft they flew in on, but already, for Tony, the mistake is made. The droid steps over Harry’s limp form laying where dropped. It meets Tony with a hand that has fingers spread wide open, palm forward, to as it presses to Tony’s chest at the position fanning over the arc reactor and pushes. 

For all intensive purposes Tony feels only that this the contact serves to allow the droid to push him backwards. Tony feels nothing with this; he has his armed glove contacting him. It snaps on with speedy efficiency, fully activated so that Tony can point his palm at the droid. 

So aimed, Tony discharges a blast at the droid, careful of the crowd, which is too shocked and panicked for having a directed idea where to go. What to do? The crowd has just witnessed some cloaked devil seem to put Harry Styles down. Lifeless from one grip. It’s created a mass hysteria with some degree of paralysis.

Tony’s barely aware his heart feels fractured from the sight of Harry dropped like that when adding to the chaos Louis burst on to the scene. Louis drops to his knees at Harry’s motionless form. It’s a grief like display Tony has seen countless times in Avengers fights when innocents are facing leaving their love ones far too abruptly. 

Louis’ is visibly shaky as his hands frame Harry’s face, fingers brushing over lips, like they are willing Harry speak to him, conscious or not. It’s entirely too impossible to be sure what the impact of the droid’s singular gripping assault was on Harry to imbolize him so effectively. This distracts Tony briefly. Just enough for the droid to move to almost disappear through the crowd. 

Tony looks away from the two young lover’s to see the droid begin scaling up the exterior of the building from which they came. Tony realizes, as Hawkeye comes to his side, that the droid is going up the building for Cho. 

Tony calls for his entire suit to gear him up for going after the droid. “It’s going for Cho,” Tony says to Hawkeye. 

Before Tony can complete the thought, Hawkeye is sprinting inside again to try to intersect the droid assuming Tony will handle this unfolding on the street. That is when Tony looks back to Louis and Harry as the sounds of new trauma erupt from a confused crowd. 

From among the on-lookers has stepped another form, also wearing a black cloak. This one is all too familiar. He quickly swoops up Louis. 

Jared, it seems, is here too. He tears Louis away from Harry by threading and arm around Louis’ waist, pulling Louis up into him from where Louis was prone over limp the Harry. Louis was pleading repeatedly for Harry to “Wake up! Come back to me!”

Louis caught in unwanted arms, realizes too late who his captor is. He is caught off guard by this, hardly being able to break from his grief over stricken Harry, but nevertheless, Louis fights the hold.

Tony’s hesitation is for a split second because he sees how Jared has every possibility of hurting Louis with ease in the way he has his fingers around Louis’ throat. Tony’s fearful pause is long enough for Jared to gloat with lips invasively pressed against Louis’ ear. Tony even sees the way Jared breathes in the scent of the boy that Jared has caught, talking with lips so close against Louis’ ear he licks the edge of it to emphasize his drinking in the power of this situation. 

“Funny this Stark, I mistakenly thought you callously forfitted this sweet, sweet ass to be destroyed by me to keep your tech. It enraged me anew, I’m so very delighted he’s back in my arms, but how is it that he is here now for me? Cho did this? Such a lovely, unexpected prize! Know I’ll take him home with me once you’re gone. Have him again, enjoy him like I did before. So sweet isn’t it? Me and this little one, your boy, your perfect little cock goddess princess. This time you will be dead and he will be mine to keep.” 

It is impossible to tell if Louis is more frightened out over Harry or this threat. He’s fighting to be free of Jared, but Jared keeps his grip tight around Louis’ waist in one arm while his other hand moves clenching Louis’ throat tighter to add a level of threat. Tears begin streaming down Louis’ face. Are the tears over Harry? The fear for Tony? The choking?

Tony wants nothing more than to kill Jared. One hit from his palm would do it but Louis is a shield in front of Jared.

That’s when Jared’s restraint of Louis breaks suddenly as an arrow impales deep in Jared’s thigh. Released, Louis falls to his hands and knees, looking at Tony for a slit second, and his savior Hawkeye, before he picks himself up to run to Tony. Putting his hands on Tony’s face, like he was doing minutes ago with Harry when he struggled to find out if his fallen lover Harry was forever gone. Now it’s Tony that Louis begins a frantically clamouring over. 

“T-t-tony!” Louis says. His eyes are searching Tony's. He is still crying as his fingers stroke over Tony’s face. To Tony the touch of Louis’ delicate fingers on his skin feels like angel’s breath. 

”Tony?” Louis says softly. Louis keeps repeating Tony’s name soft like that over and over again. “Tony? Tony? Tony?”

Slowly Louis risks to move his hands from tender strokes over Tony’s face taking them down to Tony’s chest. 

Louis’ eyes follow his hands.

Tony looks down too with the shift of Louis’ hands.

So Tony sees what has Louis’ so concerned.

On Tony’s chest fanning out around the arc reactor is a scattering of red flecks. Like a cosmic constellation, the flecks have various sizes, spread, amorphous shapes. 

These flecks on his shirt start small. Red. A few more tiny ones develope as Tony and Louis study the growing pattern on his chest.

Tony realizes the flecks on his shirt are blood, his blood; he grabs Louis’ hands away. 

Meanwhile not far away on the sidewalks is the very still Harry. He is maybe dead or dying? 

At least now Jared is down and bleeding from Hawk’s carefully placed arrow. 

Tony looks not at Harry, not at Jared, but at what is in front of him. This is everything he loves. Louis. Trembling, tearing, questioning. 

“Tony, what is that? What is happening to you?” Louis can barely get the words out he’s so shockingly jittery. 

The hands Tony holds in his he kisses. He turns them over and sees where one palm which touched him has tinges of his blood. He quickly takes them down so as to keep Louis from too deep of a study of them while he says to Hawkeye, “Status inside?” 

“I came back out this way because the security has shut down all elevators, all stair well doors are locked down. The only way up is your suit so I came back out immediately.” Hawkeye says. “It seems it is a good thing too because,” the balance Hawkeye was about to say remains unspoken, but a nod toward Jared confirms the idea. It was good Hawkeye injured Jared enough to force the release of Louis. Louis, who Tony pries away from him and pushes over to Hawkeye for safe keeping as the complete Ironman suit approaches from the rooftop craft to become a part of him. 

As the armour covers Tony he never wavers watching how Louis is mortified staring at Tony’s chest even after Tony becomes incased in the suit. While the bleeding out is most likely is the impact of that hand-to-chest contact when the droid pushed him, the damage initiated being what makes his chest feel such pain, Tony believes the true agony for him is seeing his frightened lover straining to endure what Harry and Tony are suffering. Harry still lies lifeless though with Harry there is no sign of blood, just a glazed staring out from empty eyes. 

Tony powers up to initiate tackling the continued threat of the maurading droid which has likely entered Cho’s labs and is tearing through a defenseless group of people. “Get them off the street. Inside. Up to the lab as soon as I’ve enable the power for elevators and doors.”

Hawkeye takes Louis who is beginning to try to get back to Tony and saying which greater shakiness, tears streaming though which he softly makes a query, “Tony? What’s happening to you? What’s happening to Harry?. 

“Louis I’m going to leave you with Hawkeye. You help him with Harry, but that thing is up there. It’s going for Helen. I’ve got to finish this.”

Jared who is rolling around on the ground seeking a way to ease his pain as his leg bleeds laughs like he’s won something. 

“So you know, Stark. Every thing you do, every exertion, every heart beat, every breath takes you closer to death. You use your suit, you exert yourself to save anyone, Cho, Harry, this beauty you obsess for, it all takes you faster to death’s door.” Jared snarls this in his mix of pain and delight. “You’ll be gone and I’ll be keeping the treasure. Not just your tech, I take your pretty boy too.” 

“So it’s a losers choice either way.” Jared taunts on. “I thought you were so callous that you sacrificed that sweet ass, so I decided I’d take another, this Harry, away from you too. And yet here you are walking right into a trap. So sorry you won’t be here to stop me from having the little one again when your both.” 

Jared’s reference to a trap has no bearing on Tony’s decision. Jared’s belief he’s taken Harry’s life is horrid and deserving of any fate. But it’s the suggestion that he will have Louis. No. That’s it. The suggestion is what pushes Tony over the edge. 

Tony’s points his palm at Jared and in a puff of light Jared is vaporized. Free of ground concerns the Ironman suit jets up along the out side of the building. The path the droid took is clear. It’s demolition of the window it took out to access Cho’s labs makes it clear it’s inside reeking havoc there.

Tony lands in the upper floor of the building. Generator powered lights are a mix of sparking, blown out, or on with oscillations. There is an abundance of debris showing a path of reckless destruction. Some people can be heard, distressed, though they are out of view. 

Talking to Jarvis Tony initiates resetting power systems. He doesn’t see the droid. 

Something catches his sensors. Tony abondons the reset, turns preparing to fire but he sees it is only a couple of technicians hiding under a bench. They sign, pointing to direct Tony’s attention. Tony turns as the droid comes at him. It’s a fatal move. 

Fatal if fatal can be said of a droid powering out. 

Once Ironman has discharged a blast to the droid the two people who alerted him scramble from under the desk. Tony’s face shield opens as they run to him. 

Ironman drops to his knees. 

One of the technicians comes down beside him, the other Tony directs. “Try your systems, try rebooting the power again.” Tony sounds tired trying to speak even saying only a few words. 

The technicain successfully reboots power. Suddenly any lights not damaged, all power, restores. The other tech still sits beside Tony where he is kneeled. Something seems wrong and so this compassionate soul is compelled to do so. She looks worried for Tony. 

With the systems powered up a group of people are able to come flooding out from what was apparently a safe room. Many of them look scorched, in disarray. Apparently the droid was randomly targeting persons, maybe as distractions to reduce as it searched for Cho. 

Cho was one of the people in the safe room. She’s guided by two male technicians who bring her over to Tony as she is asking to be so delivered. Helen looks a bit dazed, disheveled. 

When Helen sees Ironman on his knees, his visible face looking off-color and hauntingly pale she finds the power to snap out of her stupor. 

“Tony, exit this contraption.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POSTING AGAIN BY TOMORROW,,,,,,,
> 
> : (


	54. Chapter 54

The Ironman suit opens and Tony has help getting off the floor. His shirt, once mostly white is now saturated red. A cluster of medical technicians, researchers find a clear place to lay him with Cho leading the charge at beginning exam and treatment. She has an IV in him and has been checking his status with hands working a furious pace, her assistants too.

The doors open as in comes Hawkeye and Louis carrying Harry. 

Harry too is placed on a clean exam table. More assistants move to help Cho as she is split between two patients. 

She’s not the only one whose attension is split. Louis is wild-eyed with shock. He fears Harry is dead but as they brought Harry up Harry’s body felt warm, too much like he was sleeping more than at final rest. Tony however looks to be faltering fast. His bloody shirt is removed, his attendants are rapidly changing compresses. The terminology of their emergency-driven chatter is confusing. Making matters worse for comprehending what is going on is how Dr Cho is electing to communicate under the extreme circumstance. 

Helen is sometimes speaking rapidly in Korean. Several of her assistant researchers share her heritage, while many others don’t, they all appear to speak Korean, so as they talk they are completely unaware of which language they are using. Adding to the occasional bilingual slips, it’s also impossible at times to tell which patient Helen is talking about.

Apparently one person who is following every word of their conversation be it tech-talk, mixed medical-talk, in Korean or English, is Tony. 

He’s thinking as Cho’s concluding what is affecting Harry. He’s calculating as he knows what is happening to him from what she’d observed in her exam on him. He formulated what the decision needs to be.

Meanwhile Louis is petrified with fear for his lovers. Hawkeye is holding on to Louis. From the looks of it Hawkeye is all that’s keeping Louis from crumbling to the floor.

“Louis,” Tony says softly. It’s a strain to say even a name so sweet. “Louis?”

Louis goes to Tony, his arms draping over Tony, his face burying into Tony’s neck where tears find skin to sear.

”Louis. Listen to me. Listen. We’re going to fix Harry. Okay. Cho, her team, we got this. Okay.”

Louis raises his head while keeping as much of himself folding down onto Tony. He places kisses along neck and jaw with no reservation despite the clammy sweat which is building on Tony’s skin. 

Through a shaking voice Louis questions. Having heard Tony, Cho has turned to listen to Louis once she’s put a process in order for tending Harry. 

“Y-y-you too. Right? You’re going to be okay too? Cho can fix this?” Louis says desperately seeking a guarantee. 

Louis lifts a little with his hands floating up illustrative of the emphasis of “this”. “This” being whatever it is that is wrong with Tony.

Tony looks past Louis for a second or two. Helen and he share eye contact in their unspoken, momentary exchange. The meaning between them is completely understood without any words when Helen nods to Tony. In so doing she begins to fight the cry. 

It’s a reaction, an acceptance, she doesn’t want Louis to see in her face. She turns back to her patient Harry and speaks in Korean deliberately to conceal this time as she tells her assistants what they are going to do. She has a terrible charge to fulfill. 

Louis repeats his question. “Cho can fix you. Right?!”

All Tony can say is “Louis.”

Louis immediately starts wailing. He throws himself over Tony and sobs. Hawkeye tries to touch him for offering comfort and Louis cast the intended assurance away. He begins to kiss Tony with such passion that the entire room feels the suffering in a way that it becomes their own pain to share.

When Louis pauses the kiss Tony softly speaks. 

“Louis. When Harry was gripped, that droid released from his hand something like what they did to you. It drove into Harry at the most effective place some of those microdroids. You see in Harry’s case they were introduced someplace that accelerates the process. Okay, so you understand?”

Louis nods. He is shaking. His hands have little control when they settle like he can’t decide where to touch. “Oh-o-o k a y. And you? What about you?”

The only relief Tony can see in Louis’ some relief for the prospect that Harry can “be fixed”. He can also see Louis is still terrified because he’s not stupid. He may not be able to understand the details, but he’s suspicious of what is not said but implied. Louis is connected to Tony now. They are lovers.

“Louis. This is hard. I, I...” 

Tony knows what he wants to say but now the pain has him too pushed to make the words come from his lips. Besides his lips only want Louis’. For a last few seconds.

With a startle Louis realizes he has Cho at his side. Hawkeye too. 

Cho picks up where Tony left off. 

Her soft tone is chilling. It should be reassuring but of this he wants no one to speak. 

“Louis, the droid. The droid had a singular purpose designed, programmed for each hand. The contact to Tony, well it is like to reverse, you understand?”

Louis is shaking his head “no”. His hands run over Tony who is looking at him but failing. Louis can see this clearly now. 

More slowly, more softly Helen continues. 

“For using Tony’s tech against him, Jared designed the droid to release microdroids different than before. Different than he did to you. Or to Harry. It’s sole purpose with one hand was to reverse a frequency. It was like flipping a switch and the device that keeps fragments from reaching Tony’s heart marched them backwards. It’s far to much for too quick for me to fix this like we did you. We have accelerated particles going though Harry too. For Harry,”

Cho stops. Louis is sobbing too much. His face again buried into Tony’s neck.

She resigns to let his cry continue. He must know he’s loosing Tony because for the final seconds Louis lets Tony feel his lips. 

When Louis pulls away knowing Tony has gone he looks to Cho. He dazed. He’s too drenched in his misery of loss to feel or speak. Louis just looks at her. Void. 

Cho knows so thing about people and their hearts. She knows Louis is a survivor. A fighter. He’s heart broken but not lost. He needs an anchor. She says with confidence and determination. “For Harry, we can enhance his healing,”

Louis looks to her for understanding as she puts her hand on Tony’s chest to clarify, “by using this. Tony wanted me to transfer this. For Harry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***
> 
> Please comment on Solange. Epilogue to follow? 
> 
> Thank you again for reading. I’m very sorry to lose Tony. It’s such a nice pairing.
> 
> PS Off to complete ‘Something About That Silken Mane’.


	55. Fire in His Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the epilogue series. Tony appears as recalled in Harry’s memory.

Harry wakes with Louis’ arm straying across his chest. Louis is turned onto his side. He is laying facing Harry, holding onto Harry like Harry is a large body pillow with one of his thighs laying directly across Harry’s pelvis. The heat of Louis’ leg has sweat pooling between them, it’s either that heat or Harry’s need to urinate that woke Harry so very, very early on this a day. 

It’s been a full two weeks since Tony died leaving Harry with his arc reactor to prevent Jared’s awful infestation from working. This also left Louis as a prize to Harry that Harry won at an ultimate cost. 

They are upstairs in Jay’s home sharing a bed. Louis’ bed. The house is quiet. Slipping out from under Louis’ hold Harry goes to pee. When he returns he makes his climb into bed gentle. Like every night since Tony died it had been a rough night for Louis. Harry wants nothing more than to make Louis happy, put the pain behind them.

Enveloping Louis in his arms, Harry pulls them together tight. He’s not intending to wake Louis but the move to cuddle gets a response from Louis. Louis sleepily pushes his plush bum to press firmly against Harry’s body. He takes Harry’s arms that have come around to hold him pulling them more tight as to take Harry’s hands to his chest. Harry can feel Louis’ heartbeat as Louis kisses his hands.

“M’tired.” Louis mumbles.

Sure he is. It’s early. 

Harry nuzzles the back of Louis’ neck. Kisses his shoulder. “Sleep more. It’s too early.” Harry says.

Harry is certain that Louis is back to sleep when Louis suddenly jumps with an alarming startle. Afterwards Louis rolls over to face Harry. His eyes are wide open from his fright. 

Without speaking Harry knows the reason. One split second of sleep was all it took before Louis slipped into a nano second of a bad dream. It was really bad.

Louis puts one hand over the blue light in Harry’s chest, his tears start.

Harry let’s them. He knows this is not something that some words can fix, it’s just grief that Louis has to endure. Harry’s said everything a hundred times over the days following the terrible loss. So have all of the people in Louis’ support system; the other lads, Hawkeye, the family he’s emersed with these two weeks for recovery. Harry feels a big responsibility. He’s not only the Louis’ only thread of continuity in Louis life going forward, but he’s the inheritor of this amazing technology. Stark’s arc reactor. 

After some soft weeping Louis finds the urge for more contact with Harry to push the tears aside; replace raw grief with something else. His lips find Harry’s. 

They kiss. When they pause Harry studies Louis. Louis is a mix of so pretty because he’s so delicate, defined and heart melting because he’s so weary, vulnerable with his grief even when he wakes from a full night’s rest.

Before Harry can ask Louis anything Louis makes his needs known. He’s sliding his body to lay on top of Harry’s. His legs straddle Harry’s and as he begins to nibble and kiss over Harry’s skin while he takes each of Harry hands in his. Sliding their arms together so Harry finds his arms stretched over his head on the bed under him Louis begins to rut his pelvis against Harry’s. 

Harry feels his dick harden immediately. He’s getting his nipples sucked, his skin nipped while Louis rubs his body more against his building the heat and excitement between them. 

Harry makes a move to drop his hands down to grope Louis’ sweet arse but Louis takes Harry’s hands back to position them so Harry is again laid out with arms stretched up. This time when his hands are so placed Louis abandons Harry’s hands there. Louis has his hands free to work on sensitizing the lover lying underneath him. 

Harry can only take so much of Louis mixing kissing over his body, to finding his lips, to sucking skin leaving small marks. He seems to enjoy hearing Harry’s protests and pleads. Harry indeed whines when Louis’ mouth gives him something so close to perfection then leaves too soon. Or when Louis drags his pelvis across Harry’s erection but ignores it like it’s a thing of no consequence, because, Harry is so hard for Louis.

When Harry is sure he’s going to have to give up the mock-tied position and put his hands on Louis making Louis be where he wants, the idea is stopped by the sudden act of Louis grabbing Harry’s erection, edging into licking over Harry’s knob with his tongue dissecting it with his tongue working into slit. This has Harry’s pelvis jutting up for want of being full sunk into Louis’ perfect and talented mouth. 

Louis makes a a humming sound, mix of moan and whining when he does finally slide Harry deeper in his mouth little by little taking more of the shaft of Harry’s cock. Harry is ready to come with a few minutes of this. 

“Stop!” Harry’s finally says breathlessly, “make you feel good first, must...”

Louis pops off Harry. Holding the raging hard dick in his hand he pumps it for a few seconds considering. His mischievous expression says it before he speaks.

“Wanna ride you.” Louis says. He’s sporting his own erection and looking impatient with the disruption. Like Harry should have just enjoyed it unfold.

“Okay,” Harry says, “Okay, but first sit on my face. Let me eat you out, lick you open.”

Louis obliges Harry. He works himself up to position off of Harry’s lanky body so he’s straddling Harry’s face with his knees on either side of Harry’s head. Louis’ hands hold a headrail for support giving Harry easy access to his body. Soon it is Louis who is hardly able to keep his pelvis from responding. Rolls and repositioning respond to Harry’s tongue and lips. Louis is wanting more of it. 

Harry loves the feel of fighting to push his tongue so deep in Louis. With his hands he tries to get Louis as well seated on his face. Licking any sensitive skin makes Louis gasp. Fighting against the firm opening for access pushing to his tongue into the feverishly hot entrance softens eventually with Harry’s persistance. That combined with feeling the fullness of Louis’ bum filling his hands, full thighs trembling against either side of his face makes Harry weak for this to become more.. 

Cautious of how tight Louis is Harry does this until he feels Louis reach around to hold his bum parted. This lets Harry know Louis needs more now. That is when Louis begins begging for it. 

“Please. Gonna go down and put that fucking beautiful cock of yours in me hole. Ride you hard.” Louis says. His eyes look dark, pupils wide. He needs this badly.

Yet Harry thinks Louis can’t be ready for him with so limited prep. As Louis tries to move back to where he started straddling Harry, their bodies more aligned, Harry pulls Louis down for a kiss while he seeks for Louis’ entrance with one hand. His finger makes an exploratory penetration. It’s so much tighter than in the past when Harry has shared Louis with Tony. That alarms Harry. He shoves a finger in again, just one, not deep, is enough force to make Louis break their kiss momentarily with a hiss.

“See sweet creature, so, so tight.” Harry says knowing he should hide his impatience. 

“Wanna fuck you nice and hard.” Louis says dryly. Again his dark blue eyes with wide pupils stare Harry down.

So it seems that Louis is determined to put Harry in him. Harry keeps fighting to get some prep thinking some lube is so badly needed while he splits his attention with his other diversion, hand on Louis’ neck keeping Louis’ lips in contact with his as he jabs a finger into Louis again and again. From the feel of it the lone finger fitting in Louis is a strain worries Harry but Louis is feisty. Determined. 

Finally having no patience with Harry’s caution, Louis bites Harry’s lower lip holding onto it as if to say ‘no more of the delay’.

As Louis releases Harry and his eyes meet Harry’s once more with a fire in them. It makes a memory flash through Harry’s mind. 

Harry is reminded of a talk he had with Tony once when during the brief period when he, Louis and Tony were a regular party of three for sex. One the occasion they had just finished. Louis was sleeping from exhaustion. Exhaustion caused by being shared by two men, who for several hours, each took their time fucking him. It had been a threesome experience where one top was seeming to want to out do the other in how they made Louis theirs to enjoy. Following the experience Harry felt guilty. Reflecting on it, Harry felt he’d been entirely too rough, savage almost with Louis, as he battled Tony to be the best “top”. 

With the fire in Louis’ eyes Louis triggers in Harry a memory of that time was about Tony deflecting Harry’s guilt, setting him straight on Tony’s understanding of Louis. Their threesome time, very physical, aggressive, had begun with Louis like this. Like he is now. Dark eyes, demanding.

“Harry you have to know him as well if not better than I do. You know how he feels about sex. You told me how your first time with him was when he taunted you. He offered you ‘to get in or get out.’ Right? Those were his words when you walked in on he and Hanna. ‘Get in or get out’. After all this time as a lover, surely you must know you have got to read Louis, to look for the degree of fire in his eyes to know how he wants it. The fire, it’s a measure of his desire, whether for something soothing or for more force. He so much loves to ride cock for the pleasure to the point of near pain. His body is built for it and his brain is mad for it.”

Harry remembers those words as if they were said to him seconds ago. Fire in the eyes. 

Harry gets a sudden rush of animalistic need. He growls his command. “Lube, grab the lube.”

Louis jumps to the task. He glops some in his hand and gives Harry’s dick a good coat of it. Harry squirts some on Louis’ backside so the slick runs down to Louis’ hole. Louis has one hand guiding Harry’s dick to that hole while another hand pulls a full cheek away from obstructing their union. 

It is fabulously hot and tight when Harry’s knob pushes at the entrance. Harry thinks it’s too tight but Louis is pushing on, putting Harry in, probably feeling some intense burn because he hisses and gasps. Before Harry can try to break away Louis pushes further on, he drops perhaps an inch and torturously moves to roll his body on Harry’s much too-filling knob. 

Harry’s immediately realizes he can’t fight it. Louis is too good at taking cock. Too determined. Teeth biting his own lip, his skin immediately flushed from the pleasure and the pain, but persisting. 

Beginning too soon for Harry mix of pleasure and fear, Louis starts to bob on Harry’s length taking the most extended in shallow pumps as to not let Harry come out.

It pleases Harry immensely to see so much of his shaft remain exposed with Louis bobbing there in shallow movements to take some of his dick, the length he can. Louis himself is being made into a sweaty mess, his erection waning a bit probably for the slight pain of taking this. But soon enough Louis’ dick begins to fill out, stiffen fully again. With that he begins sliding deeper signally that he is feeling more pleasure. Harry enjoys how as he is filling Louis deeper, Louis looses himself more to it.

Soon Louis takes a rhythm. He chants to it, “Fill me...fuck, fill me...s’good,”

The rhythm continues with Louis sliding deeper with each iteration of his words escaping his lips in timing with the downward slide, every repeat filling him more. Harry finds Louis has him mesmerized, so pretty the way he makes his body move impailed on cock, eyes closed, hips rolling a bit, the pattern of words timed to each downward stroke. 

When Harry’s hand goes to Louis’ jaw to brush over this prize riding him with such perfection it’s because Harry wants to see Louis’ eyes before he comes. He want to praise Louis for such perfection. 

However breaking Louis trance has an unintended negative consequence. “Louis, so lovely always, so perfect, taking me.” Harry’s words make Louis look down. Seeing Harry adorned with the blue arc disc Louis immediately puts one hand over Harry’s chest and begins tearing. 

So there Louis is, his body seated on Harry’s pelvis, with Harry deep in him, one hand on Harry’s chest, or better stated, over the arc reactor, as he struggles to choke back his tears. Harry is unable, crying lover or not, to restrain at this unfortunate timed mess, his response becomes involuntary because he feels so good pressed so, filling Louis. 

Harry’s cock buried deep in Louis pulses. It’s so wrong to feel so good because he has Louis sitting on him is crying, one hand remaining on Harry’s chest the other going to cover his face. The hand over his face is visibly trembling. Louis sits there, suddenly still, taking Harry’s load while on the outside he’s breaking apart. Somehow seeing Harry with the arc reactor while fucking him is all too much for Louis

And Harry couldn’t stop his pleasure of,coming in Louis.

As Harry finishes his orgasm he immediately pulls Louis down onto him. The shift allows his dick slip out in a slurry of cum. He keeps Louis held tight on his chest, arms wrapped around Louis who sobs. Between them is the erection Louis had which Harry is certain is waning, satiated not, with the misery that over took him. 

Soothing Louis with soft kisses on the side of his head, letting him cry this out Harry softly says those pathetic sort of things for comfort. Words said more for the speaker than the injured, because there are no words when you feel what Louis does. 

Louis seems to give out. He’s quiet. This is when Harry puts Louis on the bed face down. Louis doesn’t even protest or speak, he’s just emotionally drained. Positioning between Louis’ legs Harry pulls cheeks apart to begin taking his time doing a proper clean up. He’s got the taste of him in Louis which makes this oddly fabulous even though he’s using doing this to offset his guilt. A piece of Tony is a part of him now. It causes Louis pain. It will forever be. How can he get Louis through this? 

The pleasing way Harry licks into Louis has Louis shifting. His tears are gone. He’s beginning shuddering ever so slightly. Harry hopes Louis’ erection is returning. 

With Louis beginning to roll his hips taking friction from the bed under him Harry knows he has Louis seduced. Fortunately his own erection is restored. And now after the cock riding and some additional eating out Louis’ entrance looks properly wanting, red where naturally pink, pretty open where normally so insanely tight. 

Harry gets to his knees, pulls Louis’ bum up. Hands on Louis’ hips, Harry plows in. If seeing the glowing blue makes Louis sad, Harry will spare Louis that. He will see the fire in Louis’ eyes as a sign to properly fuck this boy, his, Harry’s since they were eighteen. No apologies. *** 

About an hour later Harry goes downstairs thinking the entire house is still sleeping as is Louis now. Contented. His cry put aside with the good dicking Harry gave him, followed by some tender kisses and cuddles. Now Harry goes for tea. He wants the moment Louis wakes as the rising sun hits their room to have a perfect cuppa ready to hand to Louis’ perfect, delicate hands. 

It’s surprising, how did Harry not hear her, Jay is awake and in the kitchen. He comes in and she is there in her periwinkle blue robe making something, water for tea is already set to boil. 

“Mum?” Harry says. After all for years now he and Louis have called their parents this. 

Jays turns. Her deep affection is matched only by the depth of richness in carmel-brown eyes. Her eyes Harry loves. The way they have just a hint of gold, like Jay was a tigress innsome past life. 

Harry considers this. Jay. A tigress. 

It suits her. 

They exchange a smile without words as Harry pulls out a chair and sits. The knowing exchange continues. Jay takes the boiling water from the stove and puts out a cup for staring Harry’s favorite tea. On a tray she sets the things for her son’s. Making hers last she sits across from Harry. 

“So how my baby this morning? I heard you, you know. You two are always so loud.” 

Jay pauses and looks around the kitehcn of her home like she never seen her own home before. With a michievious smile, a smile she gifted to her son she teases “You know maybe we should install some noise-dampening subsystem. You know. In case you lads come for some weekends.” 

Harry laughs. 

He loves Jay, she is so funny. Smart. Sweet. Everything that is Louis. Fire in his eyes. His mum. Tigress. 

“He’s okay. Sort of. And not. I’m worried he’ll never be able to look at me and not cry when he sees this.” Harry confides as he touches the luminaring disc. 

Jay extends her hand across the table and out it on top of Harry’s. “Harry. Give it time. He’s still the same Louis. It may seem hard for you to see it but I do. Hes stil, fiesta and sweet. Strong and vulnerable. He still looks at you like you’re a million things that define love. I may not know what he was like with Tony. Perhaps this is a leap, a stupid assumption, but if Tony made that decision it seems he had good reason to. My intuition says he new it was never in the cards for him and Louis. He loved Louis though, enough to let him go, but only to you. That thing in your chest not only protects you. It binds you and Louis.” 

Harry feels comforted. Jay would know. 

The aroma of baked good begins to waft from the oven. Harry’s face lights up. “Cinnamon rolls? Mum’s specialty?” 

Jay rises from her seat and gets some plates out. “Every Sunday morning. It’s tradition. And today is very special. So Clint said he’s coming to take you for the entire day, right? You’ll be home sometime late tonight?” 

Harry nods as he enjoys his tea with his mouth watering for a first bite of a cinnamon roll. “He said if Louis wants to come we might be back sooner. He’s worried about how Louis will react going into Tony’s house.” 

Jays pulls the pastries from the oven. She shakes her head. “No way he’s going to change his mind. He’s already promised the twins he’s going to do somethings with them. And I’m still trying to fathom how fast the jet thing you are taking can fly. It’s nice to know you’re so easily able to come back. That seemed to make Louis feel better.” 

Harry finishes his tea, stands to give Jay a hug before they work together to finish filling a tray for Harry to take up to Louis. Hawkeye will be there soon. He and Harry will go to Stark’s empty castle on the ocean hillside. It will be for introducing Harry to the suit technology. Now with Tony gone there is only one person who can wear Tony’s suits. His, unlike Jim’s which has a reactor in the actual suit, are made for the wearer be the keeper of the arc reactor in said person’s chest. 

In the interim, while the world remains unaware Tony’s battle on the London street was fatal, Harry will be testing out his interest in playing the role for an illusion of an existing Ironman.


	56. Seductive Creature, Sweet Creature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be forewarned there is a flashback thing that goes to the fateful day where Louis falls. It’s imedded within Harry’s POV.

It was the fifth day Harry had been at Stark’s coastal castle. Each time he went there from Doncaster for a day with Hawkeye it was for something like an Avengers field trip for working out his comfort zone with the Ironman suit. 

Each day Harry and Hawkeye were joined by some assortment of the Avengers’ team, two or three members, usually not at the same time, who would work with Harry so he understood their skills approaches in conflicts. Always, without fail, Jim Rhodes is there everyday because Jim is the only one with expertise to act as the primary mentor to train Harry on the use of the suit. Other members of the Avengers come and go without any schedule. Each of them simple add their own unique specialties to Harry’s understanding of a role he could play. They all emphasized to Harry to keep in mind his role, if he were called upon; Harry is only to keep the illusion alive that Tony Stark alive and is Ironman. 

As Harry and Hawkeye are preparing to leave, Harry becoming anxious to get home to Louis, there is a knock at the door. Hawkeye was still busy with something he and Jim were doing down below in Tony’s research level so Harry went to the door.

Harry opens the door expecting nothing extraordinary however he finds Simon Cowell is standing there.

Simon looks as shocked to see Harry at Tony’s door as Harry is to see him. This is the first time they’d been face to face since the day in mangament’s London office when Louis was revealed, brought back from missing persons status by Tony Stark and seemingly a very different person than the Louis they’d known. The unexpected surprise arrival of Simon, sent Louis into convulsions at the sight of him. Now here Simon stands, unannounced, uninvited, at the front door of Stark manor. Seeing him, Harry isn’t sure whether he wants to vomit on Simon’s expensive shoes or punch him. 

“Harry?”

“Simon?”

Simon starts to ask about his surprise at seeing Harry. His words slow. “Wha, what, why are you here?” Simon asks as he walks past Harry entering the house like Harry’s dumbstruck look is an invite. “I take it Louis is here too?” The last is said with a smugness.

Harry stutters back his reply. “Na, na, not sure I said that you are welcome. Or that you should come in. Why do you even pretend to care where Louis is? What are you doing here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to have no interactions with us, with the band?”

“Well, yes, but I’m not here for the purpose of seeing anyone in the band. I only came here to speak to Stark. Didn’t realize how things are with them, didn’t realize, I mean... I take it that he is, you and he... and Louis....” Simon gets a smirk with an edge of something nasty invading his face as his fantasies of a relationship he imagines consume him. His next words are said with a suggestion of loathing. “You’re both, I take it, are here nowadays with Stark, you, A N D Louis, I guess that means the little twink is in the center of some sort of threesome. So that’s how it is?”

Simon doesn’t know the depth of what he has said. He’s only trying to be mean.

He doesn’t know how true the suggestion of a Tony-Harry-Louis threesome was for a time.

He also doesn’t know how inaccurate the suggestion is now that Tony is gone. All that’s left of Tony is in the center of Harry’s chest. Figuratively and literally. The love Tony had for Louis and the part of him that kept Tony alive against odds which now sustains Harry’s survival.

Harry snaps back. “You shouldn’t be here. He won’t talk to you. You should leave before he does something for your second uninvited intrusion that will make you regret these unwelcome surprises.”

“Regret?” Simon’s expression signals Harry hit a nerve. Simon continues on. He is angered, uncensored. 

“Regret? I’ll tell you what regret is Harry. Regret is seeing some pretty twink come back to xFactor twice for auditions and making the mistake of not having paid off his family for having use of him for a night the first time. If I had only did that, then sent him on his way after that so I wouldn’t be so intrigued by his sweet ass the second time I encountered him as to make the mistake to let it go farther, give him another chance.” 

With more anger Simon continues. “You know what else is regret, Harry? Regret is putting Louis in a group when the reason was not his voice, admittedly a nice complement to three power vocals, but because of his pretty, pixie face and his insanely seductive arse. Regret? Regret Harry is not leaving him to die after pushing him into an elevator shaft. For some reason, something, something about Louis always makes me mad with desire for a taste of him. Louis, a seductive creature. So regret? I already know what regret is! Regret is confronting the paradox of Louis Tomlinson and failing to be able to be able keep him on a leash.”

Harry thinks he heard the list of Simon’s admissions but he thinks maybe he didn’t really because it was so unexpected to see Simon here of all places, much less listen to any of his rubbish. 

Did he just admit that from Louis’ first audition in 2009 that he had dreams of having Louis for a night? Regretting now that he didn’t bury that desire by fucking him then and casting him off? Paying the family out? 

Did Simon admit he weighed Louis’ beauty over his voice in the grouping of five solo boys when he grouped them?

But wait? Most significantly, did Simon actually say he pushed Louis into an elevator shaft? Did he? Or was that only Harry’s mind playing tricks? 

Suddenly Harry’s mind goes reflectively back in time. In a flash of images Harry recalls the last time he saw Louis before Louis disappeared for a year.

He remembers so clearly after a photo shoot of the band how he and Louis walked into the hall ahead of Liam, Zayn and Niall and their entourage of staff, security, stylists, the photographers working the shoot. It was like so many other times where Harry had been feeling defeated and Louis was steadying him. 

Once again. There had been a conflict that day between he and Louis with Simon. As typical, the conflict was about them wanting to come out. Once again their bandmates had given them support to do this. Their three best mates were willing to risk all to allow a reveal of Harry and Louis’ secret love. Damn the consequences t the band. 

Once again Simon was firmly objecting to this. Furthermore, on that particular day Harry couldn’t stand the worse of it; the direction Simon just announced that day that they were taking his and Louis’ image. The future the PR team and Simon plotted for Harry was deeply worsen by the far more loathsome direction they were taking Louis’ image. The entire plan showed how expendable Simon considered Louis. 

So it was that after the initial discussion with Simon and the five of them about the up coming PR plans Louis was trying to lift Harry’s spirits. Back then before he disappeared he was always the strong one, though Louis always claimed Harry made him strong. 

So as Harry recalls Simon had just been very clear in outlining the future. For image it was to be more of the same with a bit more darkness. While Harry would continue to be protrayed as a womanizer, the plan implementing through PR would increasingly make Louis out to be a clubbing, party boy, a wanker who went off with random women. Eleanor, already too close to Louis’ family to play a negative leading role, would step step out for a bit, some other wannabe would step in. Some girl would be picked for Louis, somone with a need for fame so desperate they’d play any role for satellite fame riding on Louis’ party boy image. Meaningless sex would be Louis’ downfall so as to make him very-not-gay. Simon eluded to an unplanned pregnancy linked to Louis. This would make him not so both not-gay and not-boring. 

Harry remembers these details and how he and Louis stopped before reaching the elevators, something in Louis’ mind making him pause. Apparently, significant to what happens next in the building of the photoshoot, one of the elevators had a sign on the door stating “elevator out of order”. Soon a congestion of people bottlenecked at the lone working unit. Those among their team of stylists, makeup artists, photographers who walked ahead of them began filling the one working elevator in turn while Louis hesitated there. 

For some reason Louis continued to wait, held off taking the elevator. He continually opted to hang back, let others go. As they waited he and Harry began to kiss. It was as public as they could ever get. Their standard team all knew they were a couple. The new group working with them that day signed their non-disclosure contracts. None of them seemed to care in the slightlest about these two young lovers. Was it that Louis was thinking too much about the conflict over their images to let it go? 

This kiss was something of a memory burned forever into Harry’s memory. Perhaps because following it Louis was missing for so long. Some words slipped from Louis as he kissed Harry, something like they were together, at least, though this would be secret for perhaps all time. Despite the sadness of the reality Harry felt calmed because the kiss was a centering sort of kiss. It was so perfect. So reassuring for Harry. 

Though Harry and Simon are standing in the entry of Stark’s house it’s like time is suspended as every detail of that kiss floods back into Harry’s mind. Things like how Louis, smaller than Harry, put his hand on Harry’s elbow and cupped it while they kissed, supporting Harry with the touch. When they broke off, with their kiss reassuring Harry a little that they could get though this, Louis added. “It will be okay. We’ll be alright. I’m going to wait, wait until everyone else has left, then I’ll talk to Simon again.” 

Harry remembers the dread. Why would Louis want to try with Simon again? It was pointless. Harry also remembers how Louis spoke with such softness while staring into Harry’s eyes with confidence in his words. He was leading Harry through a trouble time with that confidence, that strength. Like always Louis being strong for Harry in the face of an undesirable role was the way Louis could be because he had to. For Harry’s sake. For the band. For the illusion. The image of the band as five heterosexual males was paramount to their continued success.

Louis kept his hand on one elbow, another touched Harry’s chin with a finger stroking Harry’s lips as everyone else of their departing team whiddled down from a large cluster of people to fewer and fewer, everyone patiently waiting to take their turn getting into the one, lone, working elevator. 

As the jam of people thins out the last group packs into the operational unit. It had come down to only Harry, Louis and Simon remain. 

There was room for the three of them too but it seemed Simon had been on his phone, purposefully letting the crowd dissipate probably wanting to complete his call before he too leaves. 

Apparently, Harry now realizes, it must have dawned on Louis that this gives him an opportunity to speak to Simon again, and alone, because on Louis’ bidding to go on Harry steps in to the elevator. He turns. He recalls that Louis hesitated. Louis began reassuring him as the door begins to close on the elevator. “Go on Harry. Wanna have another chat with Simon. See you at home shortly.” 

Harry remembers he was really tired, anxious to get home after a long day even though something made Louis hesitate to leave, wanting to do battle with Simon like he’d done hundreds of times already. Maybe in retrospect it was that Louis was driven by something that occurred to him during their kiss when he felt Harry’s fatigue over the escalating lie they were living. 

That was the last time he saw Louis until Tony Stark turns up with Louis in the office of management about a year later. 

But face to face with Simon something Harry overlooked in his memory of that day, the last time he saw his lover. There’s another thing Harry remembers for the first time about that scene as the elevator door slides closed. With Simon making another unannounced uninvited surprise arrival Harry remembers something he’d never given any thought of about that fateful day when Louis disappeared. Behind Louis, on door to an elevator opposite side of the working one, were the words of warning “elevator out of order”.

As soon as the flash of that memory passes through Harry’s mind he is instantaneously back in the here and now standing with Simon.

”Well funny thing is,” Simon says oblivious to Harry’s momentary and momentous daydream recollection as he walks more intrusively into the home despite Harry not inviting him, “I think Tony already has. I need to talk to him. It seems intirely coincidental that a hack of my personal information started two days after we all met in the London office. Each time something was taken from me it had a signature associated with it in a message telling me what information was shared with who. Each time it was signed “with love, Solange”. Solange is Stark. So we need to stop this. I see where he’s going with it. It started with him somehow accessing photos of me years ago when I was young and out at a gay club. He sent them to the boyfriend I was with at the time along with a away for the guy to contact me at my private number and email. After that he moved on, rather chronologically, to expose me to others I’ve had past ‘dealings’ with. Every vice I had, if captured in photos he’s digging them up. I don’t know how he’s getting the indiscretions, or how far he intends to go. I do know it’s only a matter of time before he sends information to the Daily Mail, The Guardian. It’s clear he’s trying to ruin me. He wouldn’t go so far as to send very recent pictures, I’m guessing, but I need to know what it will take to make him stop.” 

Very recent pictures, Harry focuses on. Is Simon suggesting some content of him and Louis? It sickens Harry to think that Simon has touched Louis. He’s quite sure evidence of that Tony would never share. That clearly could hurt Louis as much as Simon. But Harry likes the idea that Tony is somehow digging up dirt on Simon and sending it out into the world. He wonders how Tony initiated that. What the scope, and the context is. He’s tempted to ask but he needs to keep the illusion that Stark is simply unavailable to Simon.

Suddenly it occurs to Harry. “Elevator out of order.”

”Elevator out of order” Harry says. 

“What?” Simon asks. 

“Elevator out of order.” Harry repeats. In his mind’s eye he sees the words on the wall across from where he stood, doors closing on him and separating him from Louis. Louis preparing to go to battle for the thousandth time for their love. Everyone including Harry leaving Simon and Louis alone. 

Harry speaks again as he begins to shake. Is it rage making his body tremble? Is it grief? Was the thing that happened to Louis, what Simon just admitted, intentional? Trembling with emotion Harry asks, “Did you say you pushed Louis into an elevator shaft? Did you? Did you say you regret not letting him die from it? Did you! That day, the day of the photo shoot, the broken elevator, did you try to kill Louis by pushing him to his death?” 

Simon is taken back. “What? No. No. No I did not. I mean I did push him, he was so persistent. I sort of forgot myself and pushed him because I wanted to not want him. He was so closeto me with his fiery sass. Paul was there, Louis’ words echoing everything that Paul always wanted for us, to be out, be public. Louis wouldn’t drop it. And he was so close to me. I wanted to shut him up and considered kissing him because he was so damned pretty and smart. I sort of wanted to strangle him too, so I pushed him away. Honestly Harry I never meant to actually hurt him. But he fell. I’d absentmindedly called that elevator, the one we were not to use. It was stopped between floors, the door open, so he fell back through an open gap and he was gone. It was an accident!” 

Harry slides to the floor on his knees. His hands cover his face. He’s completely a wreck, sobbing. “How could you have hidden that? How could you? How could you lie? You said a thousand times he left deciding to walk off something, before he called for a driver. That he refused a ride you suggested he take in your car! So when you and Paul and Angelo said he was walking that night when you pulled away it was a lie the three of you supported and adding to that you deepened the lies and kept him hidden all that time? You took him where? Not to the hospital, to where? To your home? You and Paul kept him prisoner there? You made up these lies to feed him about himself when the fall gave you the gift of him forgetting everything. Then you began, you, you...” 

Harry couldn’t begin to form the words about the horrid existence they made Louis live. He just couldn’t fathom that. 

Pain for Louis’ experience fuels Harry’s feelings. He begins to channel his emotions. Rage. Full, unmanageable rage. He reaches one hand toward a watch he’s wearing on his other wrist. He knows he shouldn’t. One deliberately place touch and his suit, Ironman’s suit, will engage and come to him. He’ll be incased and an active weapon in a second or two. So powered Harry can easily, instantly kill Simon. 

Something must have happened on the floor below to alert Jim and Hawkeye to the activity above them because suddenly Hawkeye and Jim are there running from the recesses below. The find Harry is a mess of emotion and moving like to arm himself with Simon Cowell standing there looking a mix of many things. The two flank Harry and Jim swipes Harry’s hand away from his wrist and they beg to know what the hell is going on. 

Harry is choking with emotion. Rage mostly. He stammers “He, he, he...” 

Simon makes better sense. “We’re aurguing. I came to see Stark, Harry and I started aurguing.” 

Hawkeye pulls Harry to his feet. Pulls him up and pushes Harry to force him to walk away from the source of the conflict. Meanwhile Jim manhandles Simon toward the door making it very clear. “We’re not recieving guest today. Your sorry ass is not invited. Not now, not ever.” 

“No, wait. I didn’t come here to aurgue with Harry, or to see Louis. I do need to see Stark, it’s imperitive!” Simon sounds desperate as he’s shoved out the door. 

Jim slams the door as he finishes his expression. “Like I said, we are not recieving guests today. We’re not interested in seeing again you ever.” 

***

Harry gets back to Doncaster and it’s late. Much later than he wanted. Somehow after seeing Simon, the revelation, he needed time to process. How it was that something Tony started before his death that was burning into Simon’s reputation on a regular basis, a continuum playing out in his death, it’s such a mystery. 

Hawkeye could only assure Harry they would find out. “For tomorrow Harry, I think it’s best for you stay in Doncaster, take a break, a day off and just be with Louis. Let me and Natalie look into what is going on that is dragging Simon’s past into the light.” 

That’s how Hawkeye left it. 

A few minutes after Harry is walking to the house Louis grew up in. The streets are empty. It’s late. Far later thanHarry expected to be back. He wonders if Louis is still awake. When he reaches the familiar, modest home that the Tomlinson’s live in He is certain they are all asleep. A few lights are on. Clearly for Harry. 

Entering the home Hary realizes immediately someone is awake. From in the kitchen he hears the music playing. 

Harry goes to the kitchen. There sits Jay. She’s dressed for bed and reading like she’s waiting for Harry though it’s very, very late. Seeing Harry, Jay immediately rises and goes to start water for tea. 

Harry intercepts her and gives her a hug. Does he tell her? 

They pull apart after a minute and Jay looks into Harry’s face with that knowingness that comes from being a great mother. She doesn't ask. She simply states what she believes in her heart. 

“You’ll be okay.” 

Harry nods to agree though he’s exhausted and a little fearful that happiness is beyond them. In the ugly world of people like Simon how is it that Jay is so wonderful and so strong? So optimistic. She doesn’t know what Harry learned earlier in his day. She just believes in the good. The idea of good. In good for her boys; her son Louis and his husband Harry. 

Harry hasn’t spoken more than a word of greeting. Jay fills the void. “He’s waiting for you, probably. It was a good day for him. You need to know that, Harry. I see it in your face. You need something positive.” 

With that Jay takes the water off the burner a split second before the tea pot sounds. She pours boiling water into a pot containing chamomile leaves. Is it for her, is it for them? Is it a habit for nights like this. Nights that feel momentous. Then she turns to Harry and says it. She probably wotuld have waited up all night to share the news. 

“He remembered things today Harry. He got some things back. They slipped from him like he knew them always.” 

“What?” Harry said jumping to his feet with the shock. Hopeful. “What? What do you mean? What things?” 

Jay smiled. Her smile is a bit tired but like a mother who knows something in her heart. “It was nothing big really. But first it was a comment he made a comment to the twins. He said something about when they were younger and how they were when he’d get them at school. Which of them was super proud and quick to take his hand, which one of the girls was too independent and too proud to show her affection to her brother in fear of classmates seeing her soft side. He remembered it like he’d known it of them always.” 

Harry’s heart leaps. He knows Phoebe and Daisy are such different people. Is this a memory or an observation that Louis is learning of them, Harry has to ask because it is too good to be true, that Louis could be remembering. Jay spends nearly an hour telling Harry every detail because he needs to har it repeated again and again. 

After the reveal, after such an emotional day, a wall of fatigue hits Harry. It’s descends on Jay too. Harry can see it. More importantly he can see she is happy. Truly happy. Louis has had his first family centered memory. 

Harry rises to leave saying goodnight. He’s hugs and kisses Jay goodnight before he pauses. Jay said “things” not just a thing. 

“Jay? You said things? What things? Was there something more than the thing about the twins?” 

Jay is clearly tired beyond belief. She too and an emotional day. The first day she knew her som was potentially back. She is putting tea cups in the washer and she replies without much ado to Harry’s question. 

“Oh, right. Um, Niall was here today. He and his brother. It was funny because I was listening to them since Greg caught my attention, because I didn’t know that Greg could sing. The three of them were out in the garden. The window was open and I heard Greg say something and then sing a few words. Not sure what they were talking about. But whatever it was, or the few words Greg sung it made Louis laugh. Then he sung these couple of lines. It made Niall nearly faint. Me too. Harry, he sang something you wrote for him. Something no one other than a few of us know. What is that song? Sweet creature? I don’t remember. I know you’ve said it’s a work in progress. Years before you’ll have it down he knew the song. But then, I wondered why that? Why the thing about this sisters, and their temperaments of all things? It’s weird but it’s a sign. A really good sign.” 

Harry should hug Jay again but instead he runs. He runs up the stairs and into the room, Louis’ room.

Lights are off but candles are lit. Harry steps in.


	57. Memory

Two candles illuminate the room. 

Louis doesn’t stir in bed when Harry enters.

Harry undresses, slips under the blankets pulling the warm boy into him which causes Louis to nuzzle his lips against Harry’s neck. It seems to Harry that Louis chooses to continue snoozing.

Harry lays there drifting, thinking about the hopeful news of Louis’ day, willing those thoughts to push away his frustrations caused by seeing Simon. Warmed by Louis tucked into him, Harry drifts off to sleep. 

Sleep is interrupted by Harry getting a sensation of someone breathily kissing his pelvis area, a gentle hand taking his dick. Wetness follows the touch as Harry suddenly wakens fully to the sensation and sound of Louis sucking him. Deepthroating Harry while Harry is soft, something Louis won’t manage with such ease for long as Louis makes Harry begin to immediately harden in his mouth.

Switching approach when Harry’s dick begins to fill out, Louis slips in some words mixed along with continued efforts of seduction. “So late today, you’re back so, so late.” Louis murmurs coming off Harry’s cock with a slurp. 

His mouth free of dick Louis states his news apparently unaware Harry just heard this story from Jay. “Such a good day here’” Louis says as he opts to run the tip of his tongue down the underside of Harry’s cock teasing the bulging vein before he continues on about his memory. 

“Seemed to sense things, normal things, about me family.” Louis says without being specific just a second before he delves back to enthusiastically make flicks of his tongue over Harry’s slit. Louis’ tongue evokes a back arching lurch in Harry’s body. Delighted by the lavishings of Louis’ tongue, his lips, his breathy teases Harry’s cock becomes much more than Louis can handle in a simple mouthful. 

When Louis pulls back, pleased how he’s got Harry writhing, he continues to hold Harry in hand, pumping Harry’s dick wanting to share more about his day, his precious few memories.

Harry’s concerned though. He’s on his back, his chest exposed. There in front of Louis is a blue glow nested in the center of Harry’s chest. It is something Harry has come to identify as Tony’s heart...keeping his alive. Harry is still not sure this device is rightfully his. For that matter, Harry is not sure Louis is either. A sudden influx of guilt Harry pulls a pillow over his chest as camouflage covering the device. Louis doesn’t address bizarre action. He only stares into Harry’s face seeking return eye contact, his hand still wanks Harry’s cock as he continues. “And had this thing happen when Niall and Greg were here.”

Louis smiles. Harry thinks he believes that Louis may have blushed but with the candlelight it’s hard to tell. The smile on Louis’ face says something. Louis is pleased with himself, clearly something in his smile is wicked and naughty. It reminds Harry of the day when he interrupted Louis and Hanna when Louis stepped away from where Hanna was pegging him, strides up to Harry, hand on hip, his erection wanting from what Hanna was doing to him and Louis unabashedly asked, “are you in or out?” 

It was all over for Harry that moment. Louis was so exciting in his freedom. Besides Harry was already so in love with Louis by then. Louis was cheeky, and fun. Confident in his desires. Honest about his feelings. 

Maybe Harry was perhaps a second or two too long in his reminiscence. He returns to the here and now confronting a Louis wanting him. 

Louis’ hand-work is a bit sloppy in its approach so Harry knows Louis isn’t focusing on the action; Louis’ thoughts are back in the details, good news of his day. 

“I heard something in me head when Greg started to sing a few words of some song. Something struck me because I finished when Greg lost his place. It was a song Niall played for him, something unfinished, you started it but abandoned it, I guess. Sort of made Niall flip when I finished where Greg stopped. Like I knew it Niall said it was from a journal of songs you’ve started. He’d played with a few chords for the music, to go with these words you had to jot down for someday. So the unfinished song is some piece that you’ve kept to just a few of us, for someday. Some song ‘Sweet Creature’. Since it’s not recorded, so it’s not something I’ve heard since I’ve come home. I remembered it Harry! It’s something personal, something tied to you. Something you began writing about me? I guess you hide it. Because of the risks to the band, the fights with Simon and the team.”

Louis uses his free hand to toss away the concealing pillow Harry was hiding Tony’s gifted device with. He looks straight into Harry’s eyes. Harry wants to not expose Louis to hurt or pain. Louis puts their situation in perspective. 

“Please let me ride you like this. You know I can be stubborn. Please don’t hide this part of you from me anymore now.. Tony would not have done this, given you this, not if he didn’t believe it was right.”

There is the strength that has always been a part of Louis. It crushes Harry that it is so true what Louis said. Louis has accepted it. Tony did the only thing that was right. 

Harry reaches up to caress Louis’ insanely sculptured jaw, his captivatingly sculptured cheekbones while his other hand goes to one of Louis’ succulent thighs. Louis moves to straddle Harry with a hand positioning Harry to rub the harden cock to a wet, slicked, apparently, prepped hole. Louis was playing at sleeping when Harry came in, clearly he was wanting this welcome home with Harry, maybe he was imaging it going like this. Indeed Louis already sports a nice little erection of his own broadcasting his yearning is peaked. Louis continues to rub the head of Harry’s dick between his cheeks and over his hole sealing Harry’s need for entering him.

Harry is perhaps overwhelmed with the first sensation of his cock breaking through the tightness as Louis starts sliding it in. Harry has a powerful surge of desire because Louis feels so, so good; Harry fights the urge to grip Louis at the shoulders and force him down so all of him enters Louis one in one severe thrust. Certain only that Louis is prepped, but not simply a toy, Harry staves off this desire. 

With singular focus Louis speaks in a soft, whisper voice.

”Slow Harry, gonna slide all of you in slow. Ride you slowly. Feel every inch of you. Ride you nice.” 

Once Louis knows he has Harry started into him enough to let him be Louis’ hands move to gently lay fingers on Harry’s face. Fingers make subtle sweeps like Harry is so precious to him, touching gently with thumbs brushing ever so slightly over Harry’s lips and cheeks the softness of Louis’ touch sends shivers through Harry’s body. As Louis’ bottom makes its first slow sliding motion down on Harry’s dick with his body holding Harry tight in its heat Louis coos over what his fingertips are feeling. 

“Such perfect lips, dimples, so perrrfect,” Louis says before he leans into Harry to kiss him. The angle changes how Harry’s dick feels embedded in Louis. It makes Louis shudder but also it makes Harry gasp. The way Louis shudders makes Harry grab Louis’ arse, his nails bite into Louis’ flesh from his excitement, yearning for more. 

After minute or so, Louis breaks their kiss. He pulls away and sits upright with Harry still buried in him. Hisses slip from Louis’ lips. Refocusing thanks to Harry’s fingers digging into him to hurt enough to make his response be to roll his hips with Harry still buried deep within him Louis lets his head loll side to side. It must be that the shift also feels blissful. 

Louis must want Harry to stop penetrating, biting nails; he moves his hands to lay over Harry’s arse grabbing fingers to take some pressure off to relieve himself of some of the biting grip while he simultaneously lets much of Harry’s length slide out as he raises up keeping only the head of Harry’s dick constrained. 

With Harry’s hands now under Louis’ hands, both sets of hands resting over what are likely fingernail-marked buttocks, Louis looks Harry in the eyes to study Harry. He takes measure of Harry’s expressions to gauge how Harry enjoys sensations of his tight entrance bobbing on the most upper portion of Harry’s shaft and knob. Meanwhile their two sets of hands remain holding on to his bum. It’s a way to emphasize Harry’s favorite thing, holding on to Louis’ arse, Louis in control of the pumping, Louis tormenting Harry. 

And so like this Louis makes several minutes of shallow drops on the uppermost portion of Harry’s dick. Soon Louis looses his will to hold Harry’s eyes with his. Instead he lets his head roll as he rolls his hips rocking, working Harry’s knob into heightened sensitivity. When he feels Harry’s hands begin to tighten grip on bruised skin he drops down hard and completely slamming Harry’s entire length forcefully deep in himself. Louis laughs like it feels so good, Harry assumes. 

Harry pants with excitement when Louis stops bottomed there and returns to holding a searing gaze between his and Harry’s eyes. Harry has forgotten to hide the arc reactor but he notices sees Louis only looks at him, his face, his eyes. Securing this is true Louis releases his hands from where they were placed over top of Harry’s on his backside. His hands move to trail from Harry’s waist along each side of Harry’s torso stopping their slide upward over skin to reach only to playfully twist each of Harry’s nipples. Once Harry yelps and moans those hands begin finding their way further up until Louis brings his touch back to framing Harry’s face with his fingers again. 

“My pretty, pretty Curly” Louis says as he is sat deep on Harry. Louis leans in again and kisses him, also deepening his tongue exploring iinto Harry’s mouth. Slowly as if Harry is his to use, Louis arches his back so he can fuck himself on Harry in at a new angle to his liking while their tongues battle, their kiss getting increasingly aggressive. 

When Louis finally pulls away from the kiss he makes his hands go back to gripping over Harry’s chest, Harry’s tits to be precise. He’s acting oblivious to the arc reactor having just given himself into riding Harry hard, unbridled, going for taking Harry hard and deep while riding very upright on dick. This drive makes Louis to begin to come. He lets his cum splatter wildly as he releases choosing not to touch his prick but rather to keep his nails biting into Harry’s skin, the flesh around Harry’s nipples, as Harry had bit his nails into Louis’ arse earlier. He’s slurs “ohs” and “yes fuck yeses” among some other sweet, more articulate things like, “you’re soooo beautiful, fuck”, “oh fuck, wanna cum in me, yeah”, “com’on Harry, com’on, fill me”, “oh yeah, yes do it in me”. Harry looses track of the coos and comments seemingly about his perfection and beauty because Harry is staving off letting go of himself just yet hoping to get through enjoying feeling every bit of the moment as Louis comes powerfully filled on Harry’s dick. 

Harry tries to be mindful enjoy every sensation of Louis’ body clenching on his dick. From watching his ejecualte erupt, to seeing how Louis’ body is glistening from the heat and every bit of him is so very, very pretty. Thighs muscular, are wet from work. Waist tiny, offset by wonderful curves, blends into what is a plump, succulent bum. Harry looks to Louis architectural shoulders, collarbones. He’s lived many fantasies focusing on those element of Louis alone so when he feels Louis begin to collapse Harry pulls Louis down, rolls him to lay back on the bed. Quickly, Harry takes his own weeping dick in hand instantly. He is certain where he wants to place his cum. 

His first spurt is a gusher, he hits the pillow beside Louis’ head. A miss. His second string hits Louis’ right cheekbone. Perfection. 

Next Harry directs his cock so he splatters much of Louis’ tiny chest. 

Finally, he makes his way up over Louis so he can successfully fulfill his ultimate quest; he tries to fill the divots of the so very lovely collarbones as if they are a cup designed to hold a slurry of his jizz. Louis brings a hand to rub the ropes of cum on his chest over himself but Harry is quick it intercept before Louis can reach the special deposit Harry just made. Keeping Louis hands pressed to the bed under them pinned by his Harry bends down to lap up his cum, keeping one gelled glob on his tongue without swallowing he takes it to kiss into Louis’ mouth. Louis returns the kiss like he loves the taste of Harry licked from him and he brings their bodies together both a sticky sweaty mess. He’s pushing them tight, lingering dribbles of their love makes them a sticky mess but neither one cares. 

Pleasure puts everything right for them together like this. Pleasure of yet another new memory of them together for them to share.


	58. Warm, a little wet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miscalculated. Sorry. Had to go with bad break in this update. It was to be one big long run to the finish. Do share some comments please.
> 
> ***

Sure it there had been three times before this day when Harry had gone out on a call to duty as Ironman. But each of those times he’d been back relatively soon as these were only some sort of practice drills; tests of how the process works in concealing awareness of Harry being Ironman while Harry carries on in his regular life, that off a celebrity. So far the world remains oblivious to the change in the man within the iron suit.

This time though, when Harry left as Ironman the context of his summons was vastly different. First, the call to suit up came badly timed as the band was preparing for a performance in Manchester where the stadium was full to maximum capacity with fans, family and friends. The idea of One Direction performing was in itself a noteworthy because it was their first live event in a long time. 

A second thing about this performance is even more noteworthy.

The concert is to be the first with Louis joining them since his “disappearance”. 

So this is a significant evening in every way for them as a band. In the midst of a huge meca of fans all screaming for One Direction this is a very, very unexpected delay. Not that the fans can know this, but Harry is called out by the Avengers to help save the world. Or at least for the first time to particpate in something of priority such that thousands of fans will just have to wait. 

As Icona Pop is told to stretch out their opening act, the fans get more and more radical in their behavior and loud in their chants. It seems that soon the audience comes to believe the nature of the extended performance by the opening act is because of Louis’ predicament. For all they know the story management fed, the one the band told in interview after interview since Louis’ resurfacing is true. The public embraced the story perhaps because it was far better than some of the rumors that had filled the void for over a year, like the rumors Harry murdered his band mate. 

What was really behind Louis’ disappearance only a very select group of people would ever know the truth. How Louis was pushed to nearly his death by Simon Cowell, his fall leaving him sightless, no memories of himself, being made him to be Simon’s sex slave until he was sold was only shared with a very, very select group. Those select few were also aware of how Tony Stark made some purchase, took Louis in, put Louis on a path to wellness. 

While these secrets are kept from the world at large what is publicized about Louis’ bizarre missing period is a story conjured around something about some maniacal, wicked genusis, name of Jared, who, in the story conjured had abducted Louis for a nafarious purpose. That story was scripted almost organically after millions of people saw images of, or witnessed actual the fight on, the streets of London between Ironman and this Jared person with special armament. In a matter of minutes the world saw the reason why “Tarry” were together. It was not, as was speculated, because Tony and Harry were dating and that one of them had ofted Louis. 

The scene people witnessed that day on the street supported an alternative idea; an idea that the Tarry relationship was not a lover’s secret but instead based on Tony and Harry working together on behalf of retuning Louis home, to his fans. This story was plausible because the public also saw some hit by some machine take Harry down, then Ironman engaged the killing machine and Jared who was controlling his weaponized droid. The long-missing Louis ran onto the sidewalk to prone Harry’s side while Ironman’s offensive against the threat escalated. The Avenger Hawkeye joined the scene too. Soon a short battle was all over. 

What remains widely unknown is that not everything that was done on that day was left on the streets. Visible for all too see. 

The events street side were never the ones Tony planned. Nor was it one Michael, Tom and James expected for what was to be a public reveal as Louis was brought back. Unfortunately Tony paid the ultimate price. Again, the real aftermath, the battle’s ultimate conclusion, was largely unknown to the public; the machine and the man behind the assault were not the only ones gone at battle’s end. 

The fiction that spawned after that fateful day left out accurate information and detailed specifics about Louis’ missing period. Certain things like how, why, it was that Tony Stark came to find Louis were glossed over in the invented story. No mention of Simon was included in the narrative. Focus was placed on how Tony was a hero, freeing Louis from Jared’s abduction. Nothing more. No suggestions about the sexual abuse was implied. 

Sensitivity for Louis about coming back from an abduction was an easy way to make excuses for why press had to be respectful to Louis, avoid questions about his missing year, to avoid adding to his trauma, or trigger more suffering. 

To ward off more wild speculations some details about the evil-genius Jared, were written by Tom, James, Michael and their PR machine to give hungry press plenty of fodder to satiate their need for the pandering of tabloid rubbish to the masses. The fictionalized details promoted focused on how Jared was playing some game challenging Ironman for some reason that was a matter between them. Louis was incidental in his role, not an intended target. Suggestions of Louis being anything more than a random unfortunately easy abductee, any context implying Louis trapped in a darkly sexual scenario, was stricken from all accounts for public consumption. 

Instead a case was made by official PR team that Louis’ involvement was completely happen-chance based on what events happened right before Louis was last seen. Louis, along with the others had been at a photoshoot for their new album Midnight Memories. He was among the last to leave after a delay with he and Simon having been discussing some business matter alone, something insignificant, only to do with a track on the album. They parted after a mundane conversation, after which Louis seemed to have vanish without motive. 

This PR narrative suggested that Louis was simply the right person, a random celebrity out all alone one night without security, at the wrong time, such that Louis was unfortunately easy snatch for the subversive purposes Jared set out to do. Jared fishing for Stark was out looking for bait that night. The celebrity who would served as Jared’s purpose didn’t really mattered Jared, they only needed to be well known enough to catch Stark’s attention. Indeed if Jared could have chosen he might have plucked some celeb who suited Stark’s reputed preferred type, a starlet like a Gwenth Paltrow, given how Stark is a legendary lover of femine beauty. 

So it was that Simon’s role in the night of the abduction was downgraded to something suggesting he was only a thoughtless, incompetent, idiot for letting his talent leave alone, without security, on a dark night, on abandoned streets all because Simon was too lazy to stay to his job of seeing to the needs of his famous, perhaps vulnerable talent. 

Soon enough suggestions about Simon morphed into something more, something about Simon disregarding Louis’ safety became only one of many other allegations against him. These negative, Simon-targeted suggestions were not coming from 1D management, but they forced Simon to step aside in any hands-on active role with the lads because of the implications. Maybe it was that his mishandling of Louis was an accidental catalyst but for some reason quickly following the leaking of this carelous-Simon news a series of additional bad press stories began surfacing about the once revered Simon Cowell, maker of stars.

Indeed along side the fake, management-driven story of Louis abduction experience, Simon was gettting a run of complaints and legal battles. Claims were surfacing about Simon from other people he’d signed prior to putting together 1D which began to show Simon had a pattern of improprieties. Ke$ha, it turns out, is not alone in being a young, wannabe starlet that was abused, contractually and literally raped by her manager. Significant in the difference between Ke$ha and some number of persons signed by Simon was in the nature of Simon’s preferred victims. Secretly, Simon had a long history of a taste for pretty, talented but barely legal boys. 

Suddenly, contrary to his image, the world learned that Simon Cowell took in a certain ‘type’; specifically boys who were pixie-like, femine almost and always desperate enough to be foolish and sign with him with rash, unreflective impulsiveness virtually giving away all freedoms. Most of Simon’s boys never got farther than Simon using them, never to come through on promises for their potential stardom. Instead they would be cast aside. 

Fueling the news about Simon’s business dealings was an early pattern of conduct throughout Simon’s personal life going back to when he was a young adult before he had the power of the maker of stars. A picture of Simon as a younger man gathered steam with repeated narratives of how Simon had a hidden dark side in his personal love relationships. The Daily Mail found a number of former lovers willing to talk about Simon; these former Simon’ boyfriend’s were speaking out, telling their stories of his lust and betrayal. 

Each man told the same story. These were men who were now had matured and moved on in life. Most were equipped with creditable accounts and supportive evidence about their former gay lover the proclaimed heterosexual Simon Cowell. They all told a similar story of how when they were young they hooked up with Simon after meeting him at some gay club. After they dated him for a while Simon began to get bored, moved to cast them aside. Soon enough Simon would decline all their calls. They’d see he was out with a new boyfriend. Someone younger. Prettier. Easier to control. They’d never hear from him again never understood why he cast them aside.

These unflattering stories about a heartless Simon, separate from, but timed coinciding with the one about Louis’ hostage situation, made it easy for the fans worldwide to want more than ever for Louis’ return, reintegration into the band. The fans wanted something positive about “their boys”. Positive and separate from Simon’s dirty dealings. 

With this being the first performance with 1D back as a complete ensemble any delay in them taking the stage has fans in a state of near hysteria. Once the delay for 1D taking the stage is evident many fans begin to speculate that this is a sign that Louis is perhaps still a little wary of returning to public life following his experience. This makes the crowd more determined to be supportive, welcoming, compassionate, and like all things where their are 1D fans, so, so, so much more loud.

Over the noise of the crowd noone heard the sound of Ironman flying in.

Through the private entrance Ironman appears. He lands, he walks into a dressing room shared by two. For the most part the regular crew was prepared for this eventuality somewhat. Apparently following the abduction and reintergration, Louis had maintained his friendship with Stark. It seemed Stark would pop in around where ever Louis and Harry might be. Seemed to be a random checkin. At least that is how Ironman visits were explained by management to those around to see them, but not trusted enough to know the truth. The only information about Ironman’s visits for those outside the inner circle of the band’s lives, was an assurance that Ironman was just occasionally popping by to give Louis ongoing reassurance that he would never again be abducted. This idea made Harry to Ironman like Bruce Wayne is to Batman. Hopefully, like in the comics, it never would occur to people outside the inner circle this parallel and guess that Ironman is now Harry Styles. After all, what far-fetched world would connect dots to create that kind of science fiction?

Once Ironman enters the stadium, he doesn’t pause to address anyone, he doesn’t open his face shield or speak to any of the security. He simply walks past them without a word going directly to the dressing room shared by Harry and Louis. He enters the room without even stopping to knock, simply closing the door behind him suggesting his reasons are private. Once everone back stage is aware Ironman is, for some reason here, in Manchester, alone with Louis and Harry, they simply assume the sudden unexpected appearance of Stark suited up suggested that maybe Louis called Stark. Maybe he was nervous about his first performance since the abduction. 

Quickly rumors reach the concert floor about Ironman’s appearance back stage. Fans begin speculating. The delay. The sighting of Ironman coming in just beforethe boys are to take the stage. The idea most fans conjure is this must be about Louis perhaps being fearfull to be back in front of the entire world again. They begin unifying behind an idea, hoping the security of Ironman on the premis will give Louis the courage he must be lacking to leave his dressing room and face the live crowd for the first time after what he’s been through. Little do they know the man in the suit is actually Harry. Louis was alone in his dressing room for almost an hour since Harry left unseen, waiting there anxiously for Harry’s return.

***

Behind the close door Harry initiates the suit to disassemble leaving him to step free of it. He’s just barely that, free, before Louis leaps into Harry, jumping with his arms and legs going around Harry with such force that Harry stumbles back until his body falls against a wall which braces him. Louis is quick to begin kissing Harry, his tongue pushing into Harry’s mouth like Louis wants to consume him with the hunger. Harry struggles to bring himself off the wall, turning them around juxtapose, putting Louis’ back against the wall as he uses his arms to hook under Louis’ legs to help support holding Louis there. Harry returns the passion. 

The only thing Harry knows from what Louis muffled suggestions seem to say through their kiss is that Louis is exhilarated to have Harry back, safe. No explanation from Harry is needed, whatever the call was for, it must have been for real this time, maybe Louis saying while he never stops kissing Harry long enough for Harry to explain. 

Why else would the Avengers put their big live show reunion at risk? The stakes are extremely high with this, the first time having Louis back performing with them, the need to drive a crafted narrative of what happened to Louis perfectly for Louis own protection. Hopefully a successful reunion is the first step in sparing Louis the horrid speculation, or the truth about what happened with Simon being revealed. 

The two lads only break their kiss for a minute as Liam, Zayn and Niall pop into the room. The three are also extremely relieved that Harry, off for a stint playing Ironman for real, is back to them safely. The brief opening of the door for them to slip into the dressing room lets the sounds of thousands of fans display fill the room in a noisy spike of sound before the three close the door behind them to maintain absolute privacy that it is Harry who was the spontaneously arriving Ironman. 

“Fook it’s so good to see you intack!” Niall exclaims as the three overlook that Harry has a Clinging-Louis pressed into the wall maintained by Harry’s broader, taller form. Also ignored is how Harry and Louis’ lips are red, their faces flushed. Zayn and Liam are quick to slap Harry on the back congratulating him for whatever he was doing, since they don’t know what it was, they are just so very glad Harry is alive. 

Liam blushes seeing the two ripe with passion. He deflects from the obvious poorly timed interruption with his excitement to see Harry is safely back. 

“Harry! Fantastic way to build even more suspense about Louis being back with us tonight.” Liam says. “At least the fans sure seem to think something is going on like Louis is still too nervous after what he’s been through. They are going absolutely crazy for him. Feedback from security on the floor by the stage, close to the fans is that all the fans are saying they promise they wont stop chanting for us, for Louis. They aren’t going to leave here tonight without seeing Louis back with us. They are to light their phones up, chant louder, stay here as long as it takes until Louis feels so much love they bring him out to prove it to him!”

Zayn jumps in. “It’s the most increadble thing! Rumors out there are circulating. Everyone believes that Harry has been shut in here this entire time trying to reassure Louis. And now they have heard that Ironman came into the rear entrance to the stadium so that fuels the legend they are creating, the one we want, that Ironman is here to support us, give Louis confidence. It’s awesome!” Zayn face was the happiest Harry has seen for a long time. The fake lives of Louis and Harry for promoting the band as five heterosexuals to girls has always been hard on the shy, easily anxious Zayn. This new narrative frees him. 

Niall is standing there biting his nails waiting to speak. 

This nail biting is a habit Niall has. It happens because Niall is either too nervous, or he’s too excited, that he somehow takes to unconsciously biting his fingers. Niall stops his nibbling to ask Harry. “Is this a short story of what the Avengers were doing just now or is this wait until we can relax and listen over several pints, after the show, kind of story? We really got a get out there soon before Icona Pop run out of material and have to start doing covers of all our songs!” 

Everyone laughs at the idea of the althelitc girl band forced to do a style of music not their own. 

Harry remains standing there making no effort to release Louis pinned between him and the wall. Harry is feeling empowered coming off of his adventure. If it were not for this interruption he’d show Louis his response ...a slight sensation in his dick suggesting he wants, needs someplace to put it. Meanwhile as Harry holds Louis with the interruption by the other three, Louis adopts a pose. It’s as if he’s comfortable enough to never move, easily clinging on the bigger lad. 

Listening to Liam, Zayn, and Niall, Louis’ head is resting against Harry’s chin. As Harry is doing most of the work of holding Louis, Louis is free to let his hands have find their way into some locks of Harry’s curls. Louis is taking in their excited, happy review of the crowd status as he mindlessly plays with Harry’s curls, bringing his face into his curl-filled hands to smell Harry’s scent. 

“It’s a pint or two story,” Harry’s says, selfishly but hiding his intentions as best he can. He really only wants to have he and Louis alone for now, “so maybe we’ll save the story for later, after the show. Do you mind? I mean please go. Mind if Louis and me have a few minutes alone, I mean before we go out on stage?” 

“Okay, a few minutes?” The lads agree. 

Louis pipes up. “Maybe more than a few...” He begins kissing Harry again underneath the finely cut line of sculptured jaw, his tongue licks over skin, lips straining to avoid temptation to suck marks into Harry’s neck right in front of the others, the need between them is more than palpable. 

As the three others leave the dressing room Harry hears the sound one of them turning the lock on their doorknob over the spike of noise of the crowd as they exit the dressing room. Good mates, Harry thinks as he turns to focus on retuning Louis’ affection. The other lads, after all, know the drill from times’ past. Harry and Louis were historically always up for a little pre-concert sex. Why would concert time be any different? 

Turning to Louis, Harry realizes that Louis is wearing such tight pants that Harry can’t even get his hand into the back of the pants to feel skin. Besides he’s still hooking his arms under Louis’ legs. Simply out of necessity, Harry pulls Louis off the wall and puts him down. He wishes the technology that makes the Ironman suit strip away so immediate could work for their clothes as he begins removing his and Louis’. They both are trying to help each other with this, while also keeping their lips locked, sort of interfering with each other, both so impatient with lust. 

Louis, mumbling through a kiss, eludes to how relieved he is that Harry is back safe. Harry is mumbling through the kiss how he wants them both naked because, “...I need to feel all of you.” 

Stripped of clothes, Louis drops to the floor and begins to suck off his lover. Harry wants this but they have precious little time and he wants more than a blow job, even by such a pretty, perfect mouth. He brings Louis off his knees. Puts Louis’ delicate face in his hands and resumes deeply kissing Louis while he finds Louis’ dick with his hand and begins to pump it, pleased with how Louis is hard, the slit beading precum. 

“Louis wanna use a condom this time, keep you clean, but need to have you there. Back against the wall. Held up in my arms again.” 

Louis giggles through their kiss. Is he amused that Harry thoughtfully wants to keep him free of post-climax dribbles to soil him while they perform or is he amused about the ‘back against the wall’ comment? 

Whichever, Louis obliges Harry by coming up with some lube and a condom. Harry let’s Louis adorn him with the protection. Following that Harry has to be quick reacting; catching Louis jumping into his arms again. 

“Wait babe, we gotta give you some prep too,” Harry begins. He’s seen many times how it is Louis walks around on stage in the past when Louis was fucked too hastily without enough prep. He positively waddled! Not only did Harry know it was his fault, the naughty-minded type of fans gathered why the waddle as well. 

But Louis is disregarding Harry’s words, pushing his tongue into Harry’s mouth with an impatience and murmuring “M’na” as he nods a tiny negative move during the insertion. 

Harry reaches down from where he has his hands close to Louis’ bottom as he’s holding Louis pressed to the wall by hooking Louis’ legs with his arms. Feeling over smooth skin Harry’s finger sense how Louis’ body down there is warm... 

...a little wet.... 

...welcoming. 

Was Louis working himself open while he waited during Harry’s abscence? Was Louis doing that while wishing for his champion, his protector, to come back and do just this, wreck him within minutes of returning? 

Apparently so because Harry works a finger into Louis easier than possible with a virgin hole, yet not so much that this penetration doesn’t result in making Louis break the kiss and gasp. 

“Want you so bad it hurt waiting.” Louis says raspy with some desperation in his tone. “Would you please get to it?” 

What more could Harry ask for? 

Harry’s ample length seemingly is designed to fit where it needs to be. There’s enough of him to stay put between Louis’ cheeks when he’s erect without hands assisting when they are positioned like this. A hand is needed though to give his bulbous head a slight directive against Louis’ entrance. Louis puts Harry’s knob where it needs to be. Then it’s all back to Harry, whether a push in or reposition his lover’s body down, or some mix between. Harry opts for the later approach to enter a tight, hot, wonderland. 

What sweet sensation. So much, so intense the pressure on his knob at the ring of muscles. With Louis gasping “yes, push, push in me” Harry slips slowly deeper.


	59. Deeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me if you like this. Picking up the story after so long without WiFi to make the update sooner I kind of had to add more than I originally planned to get my rhythm back. Hope this is good.

*** 

Harry slides in another inch by inch in one slow push, maybe giving Louis just a third of his length, before he stops.

Louis’ study of Harry’s face with the penetration brings Harry to search Louis’ eyes in return for cues written in them. They are like deep blue pools of hunger for Harry. Harry wants to swim in them. From Louis a small shriek escapes wth the halt of shallow penetration because he is giddy with exuberance. Harry must hold still for a moment. Harry too is excited but for Harry this is about a lot more than what Louis knows. To Harry this was always a favorite, pre-concert tradition. Harry doesn’t want to rush this experience despite a demanding crowd. He wants the anticipation to build and spread in Louis like the building heat on their skin. Maybe it will force into Louis some memory of this from many times they shared this kind of experience before Louis was lost. 

They used to thrill over an opportunities for making love, being in love. Secret, but cherished. Celebrating their fortune having found each other in the oddest of ways and so young. They dreamed of a future, together, hopefully even with children. Louis might not remember this, but Harry does. With Tony gone Louis is now all his, and his alone again, so Harry wants to put all their little traditions back in to place. He presses his face into Louis’ neck to inhale Louis’ sweet scent like he’d do before Louis went missing, before the lies from Simon, before the stories from the press and the haters that portrayed Harry as the cause of his disappearance, potentially a murderer. 

Harry inhales and remembers. 

Back then before all those terrible things this particular tradition was also challenge, a rebellion against Simon’s control. That was when they had no clue how dangerous such a game with Simon could be. 

Paused there sank only a few inches, consumed by need for everything that is familiar about Louis’ body Harry welcomes the way Louis grips him. Louis curls his legs around Harry’s waist. Harry loves this. Familiar, the sensation of Louis’ fabulously luscious thighs firmly clamping onto him. Louis pressed into the wall, held there easily by Harry. In the beginning they were practically the same height. Soon Harry, over two years younger, still growing, passed Louis in height and weight and then it was always so easy to manhandle Louis. Like this, with their bodies fitting together so perfectly. 

Despite surpassing Louis in stature their relative sizes never made Harry the master. Mindful of this, Louis’ mouth meets Harry’s asserts demands on Harry which reminds him of this truth. The way Louis kisses drives Harry’s body deeper with need for more of Louis all the while his mind is running through a thousand other intimate details about them in a spilt of a second. 

Harry knows there are so many things that Louis will need time to rediscover. Perhaps without sharing Louis with Tony discoveries will happen faster. Harry wants that. Not that he is free of the guilt he bares wearing Tony’s life sustaining device. But his desire for Louis to come back fully restored to him urges Harry to drive his cock a little deeper into Louis drifting, deepening thoughts of them as one, two halves of a whole. After Harry let’s himself penetrate a little more he pauses again. Thoughts take him. 

The way Louis begins more intensely kissing Harry is warming, familiar. Tip of a tongue licking his neck such that it sends chills over Harry’s body before it intiates a battle for dominance plunging into his mouth. Harry knows well how Louis’ mouth is a double edge sword; so good, so soft and giving, so viscious, so hard, so cutting. 

Louis’ mouth had gotten him into trouble many, many times. From the beginning his flamboyant innuendos demanded counterbalance actions, so Simon insisted. Louis was told he was going to be placed in an increasingly tighter narrative if he didn’t control himself better. Alternatively, Simon thought Harry could continue to be a little more gender neutral because everyone, men and women alike, loves the idea they could be the one to be with Harry. Harry lacked Louis’ ability to be quickly viscious in defense of his band who were like his brothers. Meanwhile in contrast to Louis, a very marketable thing about Harry was how he appealed to the demographic of the older women, the self-proclaimed cougars. Pandering to women in their forties was the reason for Caroline Flack as Harry’s romance. 

So while Harry would be promoted with a series of big name pairings, a female A-list recording artist, an A-list model or two, Louis’ image would need serious, PR damage-control. 

Particularly troublesome to Simon’s ideal for the band was how Louis could never control his tendency of becoming mush around attractive men who flirted with him while in contrast he would go out of his way deliberately be snarky and cutting to any woman who flirted with Harry. The behavior screams “not that into girls”. If Louis couldn’t try to act the part of heterosexual, like Harry could, Simon dictated that mandates would be written for Louis. Mangement would give Louis a steady girlfriend, someone the fans could like, a girl just pretty enough that other girls could relate to her, but not really anyone as likeable to not be malleable in her role. At some point Louis and the girlfriend would part. Louis would respond by doing what any typical young adult male would do, party a bit too much, have some meanless flings. If need be Louis would get caught in a snare when he and his fuck-boys friends got too careless. Worse case scenario, if needed, maybe Louis would even become a father. All this, anything, to protect the money. All the boys were tied to the one narrative. They are five lads who all looking for a special girl. It must be true, it could be read in the pages of J-14. 

The pressure on Louis was something Louis accepted because he too believed in Harry. Louis agreed that Harry was the money. Louis, Simon stated, was only a shallow layer of icing on the cake. Pretty to look at but no depth. Or so Simon maintained time and time again when he directed their creative music team to cut Louis’ vocals. Emphasize Harry, then Liam and Zayn, Niall next, crumbs were given to Louis even though his voice had a quality, and was in a register, that creatively cried for contributing to the band’s sound. 

In retrospect, Harry while holding Louis hooked in his arms, pressed to the wall, straining to resist the effects of Louis’ lips on his skin, his tongue in Harry’s mouth, couldn’t stop letting the flow of these things enter his mind. Things that in retrospect, with Louis’ abuse in Simon’s hands, were foreshadowed by Simon’s likening Louis to icing. 

That reference started with a performance by One Direction at club G A Y.

Club G A Y, an early booking in their career, was something Harry originally thought was an accidental booking because it went badly quick. In retrospect Harry now believes Simon must have committed the band to that performance under pressure to pay off a dept, to the club owner perhaps, in order to keep Simon’s history of frequenting the club in many times past trolling for sex a secret. That explains putting them in the environment which was against every premise Simon himself insisted upon at the time for their building their image as clean cut, heterosexual lads. “Make sure they don’t seem gay, no gay lads in our boy band...” Simon would say to everyone on their team from Stylists, to other mangers. 

Harry recalls how when they got to the gay venue it was immediately awkward. So many men, so, so, sooo into them. These men knew their names as much as any of the teenage girls fans they’d encountered. When they took the stage Niall nearly freaked, he hid from the crowd as much as he could entire time. Zayn too. Liam did a little better but not by much. Always a front man, Liam stayed back from the crowd too. But then there was Louis. Louis embraced the crowd. He was bold, brash, in high form. He didn’t mind how the men were drinking in his body, staring at his ass, calling him princess, pixie and Peter Pan. When the cake came out, the cake...certainly that is where Simon’s use of the metaphor was born from, the cake drove the performance completely over the top. 

While Harry literally fell into comic relief slipping on the icing mess Louis made by insisting on being caked, Louis became every gay man’s dream of homoerotica. He smeared icing on his chest. He licked frosting from his fingers. He left jizz-like traces in his hair. He got closer to the crowd than any of them as if to feed them from his hands and he drove them all wild in the process. To the crowd Harry and Louis were the show. The other three were nearly no more visible that background singers because of their fear of these men. 

Harry remembers very well how the audience at the club was a little intimidating. He’d never seen so many men overtly coming onto to him, and Louis. Many of them looked to be constantly maneuvering into position to take Louis if the security didn’t keep them away. Wathcing Louis they’d lick their lips in hunger, lust in their eyes. Harry remembers their yearning, the way the floor security worked doubly hard to keep hands away from the boys on stage. Louis was the ultimate gay man’s dream. Playful and flirty. Covered in icing. 

That was also the first time Harry saw how Simon could explode if Louis was too...Louis. Flamboyant. 

After the performance they had a sit down analysis with Simon about G a Y. Simon was livid with Louis despite Louis being a crowd favorite. 

Given what ultimately ended up happening to Louis when he was enslaved in Simon’s hands has given Harry a different view of the real motivation behind Simon’s Club G a Y reaction. Simon probably wasn’t as much mad about how Louis was so flamboyant in front of an all gay male audience; rather, Simon was probably livid over how sexy Louis was. Every gay man’s dream and yet completely unavailable to him. Untouchable. Louis was already Harry’s. With that relationship between them Simon couldn’t cut Louis off from the others and use him which, in retrospect, was probably Simon’s singular reason for putting Louis in the band. He just never calculated the connection that would occur between Harry and Louis. 

Harry thoughts leave the past and return to here and now as Louis’ lips move to kiss over much of Harry’s entire face while he says between feathery kisses and touches “I want this”, “please, deeper, pleeezze”, “moooorre, want more you deep in meee.”

He ends the remark with his forehead pressing to Harry’s and his fingers of one hand risk leaving their grip on Harry for fiddling with curls before his mouth returns to Harry’s again, tongue hungrily stating it’s want for more from Harry.

Harry is puddy for Louis. Every wish a command. Feeling smooth skin under his fingertips Harry slides his grip away from firm legs and slips one hand along the underside of Louis’ ample bum working his fingers over to where the tips can feel both the sensation of touching his own dick where it dips into Louis and Louis’ stretched entrance. He keeps the pleasure at his fingertips for as long as he dares while he repeatedly drives in what are a series of teasingly shallow thrusts he knows make Louis exasperated for still more.

It makes Harry dizzy to feel at his fingertips the site of the union of their bodies as one. Fingertips register distracting marvelously sensations as Louis pleads again for “more”, “deeper”.

As if to break Harry’s teasing gentleness, nails dig into Harry, thighs grip tighter, a searingly hot, sweat-drenched pelvis presses against Harry’s. To this Louis adds an arche against Harry’s hold which makes Harry’s dick drag against somethng deep in Louis in a new orientation. It’s a slight adjustment but maddeningly delightful how Louis has turned the conrtrol back to himself, this pixie held by two large hands a wall. 

Harry tries to resist the nearly orgasmic stimulation by pushing Louis anew back firmly into the wall, letting his grip loosen so Louis slips down on his length thus driving all of his cock like Louis wants, full and deeply into Louis. Outside their dressing room the crowd sounds even louder, more demanding. Harry channels the energy of their demand and the pleas of Louis who’s is whispering “yes, more” into every thrust he makes.

Louis hums in pleasure as Harry fills him deep repeatedly. Could he sound less pleased, Harry wonders. His purr-like sounds puts Harry on edge. He realizes Louis has begun once again to use the pressure of his back against the wall to make bottoming more intense because of the counter pressure of being pinned there. 

Striving to maintain control over his pixie Harry pulls Louis away from the wall. It allows him to see how Louis looks after such sweet, deeply impaling dicking. Harry notices a single bead of sweat as it falls from where it had appeared at Louis’ hairline. It takes a path down his golden neck and shoulders. Harry’s eyes can’t help but follow it and study how it stops in a divot and glistens with existing perspiration there. Lost in the beauty of shimmering skin, collarbones that art works of art, delicate and pronounced, Harry reflects on the bronzier glow that’s always defining of Louis’ skin.

It’s a thought that has Harry reflecting again on their past, how it was when they differed so much in some sensual ways. Like their skin. 

Louis was always honey-toned, golden. Whatever the word he just seemed to radiate warmth. Harry, in contrast, was porcelain, frequently described as milky or porciline. This made the color of Harry’s lips stand out, frequently described as berry-red. His paler skin also made his eyes appear more intensely mossy-green. Perhaps that why it was so striking when Harry got his first tattoo marked into his fair, cherished skin. 

Reflecting about that while pounding in Louis with concentrated thrusts ideas drive deeper into Harry’s mind like his cock drives into his lover. 

Harry ignores the crowd. He takes his time fucking his lover and dwelling lost in these thoughts. Harry reflects how their bodies are so different now. What was pristine milky white, or honey glow are now two bodies littered in ink. The ink was driven into their skin much like Harry now drives his cock into Louis, as a force of need. The impetuous behind most of the tattoos was that of protest. 

Protest on skin was an outlet of free expression discovered first by Zayn. The key was to be clever about it. 

Zayn was the first to talk about feeling particularly disconnected and undervalued. After a their first album he expressed a discontent and he tried to speak out to influence their style of music. He wanted something decidedly different. More edgy. After time and time again of being told “no” to any of his suggestions Zayn started searching their contracts for where they had freedoms. There were few. Contractually they were dictated by management their style of music, dress, apearence, even public relationships. The one thing not dictated by management was their actual skin. 

Soon Zayn developed a hate of the image he was put into more than th rest of them. He struggled. The tattoos began. Harry picked up this as a form of protest next. Soon he converted Louis to give up a position of no-tattoos-ever when Louis saw how much the fans read between the lines written in Harry’s skin by the contrast of skin so milky white and ink so black. By the time they got their most overtly paired set of tattoos, a ship and a compass, Harry and Louis were firmly entrenched to fight Simon’s narrative of them all the while saying the tattoos had no meaning. 

Each additional piece of pressure Simon put on them, from banning them from living together, sitting or standing together at photo ops, doing interviews together, they pushed back against with a litany of tattoos in their skin. 

Thoughts about the ink punctuated in their skin invades Harry’s subconcious such that he starts to punctuate each trust in Louis making sure that every penetration lingers on its termination pushing precisely against that sweet spot. 

Louis whispers “fah...” which may have been meant as “fuck” but he’s unable to finish his thoughts because he begins to squirt a series of ejaculations creaming the nonexistent space between their skin. With his release Louis ability loses his ability to maintain his hold on Harry. Managing Louis’ body with waning assist from Louis would be easy for Harry but he wants to cum too so he turns, moves to put Louis down on a table knocking off every bit of assorted items placed there with a noisy clang in his haste. 

Spent, Louis is laid out, legs spread, dangling off the table while Harry drinks in the beauty of Louis wrecked he whips off his condom quickly stating “overdressed for the party” just seconds before he shoots his load over his lover’s body adding to Louis’ mess making Louis laugh. 

Harry barely finished bathing Louis in his cum before he’s pulled by Louis down to allow lips to meet in a lazy, lingering kiss while Harry continues to sputter out milky cum. 

Once lips part Harry proclaims “and this is a common pre-concert practice my love”. 

Louis fingers seem to want to touch Harry’s parting lips as Harry speaks, “probably should have warned you about that during rehearsals.” 

Pressed into it by the touch on his lips Harry kisses Louis again after he kisses fingertips first. This time they kiss deep and with intention, neither distracted by ever more loud crowd. 

“It’s a good way to relax”, Louis says when their lips part again. His smile says he’s not nervous at all, so Harry takes the joke. 

“Secret is to not wreck you so badly that you waddle too much on stage.” 

Louis giggles. “Oh, the fans, they are so loud all of a sudden.” 

This makes Harry laugh, “no I think it’s just that your hearing is returning.” Harry has found a hand towel that he’s using to wipe Louis clean with. It’s clear they both look more than a little disheveled. Perhaps it wall come across as nerves with this being Louis first time back. Certainly a little nervous sweat is appropriate. For certain also is how their team has given them ample time for this interlude. 

It’s just that Harry looking down at his lover Harry catches a slight difference in Louis’ eyes than when they started. Is this a memory recalling event? Louis’ fingers aren’t leaving Harry’s face and he’s searching it. He knows something. Harry can feel it. 


	60. Fading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***

As soon as they are dressed Louis and Harry head through the doorway with Louis leading the way, their need for each other filled, they now feel the haste needed to quell the excited fans’ demands. Louis just passes from dressing room into the hallway when something makes Louis abruptly stop as a hand comes to grip his wrist.

Harry sees how Louis’ head snaps, he looks to the side, astonished. The shock strikes Harry too when he finds this is caused by Simon Cowell latching onto Louis’ arm. 

Apparently Simon was standing with his back against the wall beside their dressing room door. Waiting. Perhaps the entire time that Harry was holding Louis against the flip side of the wall. Maybe even Simon had been listening while Harry took Louis.

Adding to this unexpected shock was how security had been well informed that Simon is never allowed contact with the boys, mot of all Louis. More disturbing to find Simon here is to see how aggressively Simon has grabbed Louis, not letting go. Also there is the strange desperation in the nature of Simon’s appearance. He’s extremely unkempt, a little wild-eyed. Simon is smiling at Louis crazed-like as he tugs Louis toward him. How Simon got into the building given the ban on his access to any of them is a total mystery, but a moot point as he looks to be breaking Louis’ wrist. 

Harry comes to stand stopped against Louis’ back intending to pull Louis back to him but is stopped, feeling a little helpless, seeing that Simon is so tightly holding onto Louis’ wrist that he’s making Louis winch with pain, Louis’ knees cave a little, as Louis futilely struggles to make Simon release him.

“Louis we need to talk, me and you...him,” Simon says to Louis in a maniacally odd-sounding voice. 

“Him”, when said by Simon is accompanied with a nod directed toward the dressing room. This infers Simon is here because he means to speak with Tony. Looking way from Louis, ignoring Harry, Simon strains to look into the room from which Harry and Louis came unaware it’s vacant. He makes his quest to find Ironman more overt as he steps away from the wall trying to peer in around Harry presumably to see Tony.

Harry knows Simon has to be desperate to stop the damaging leaks of his hidden, awful past. It wasn’t that long ago that Simon and Harry discussed this very thing while Harry was at the Stark mansion for his training. Since that day more and more damning stories about Simon have surfaced. What appears to have set in motion was something Stark initiated with a colleague, someone who Harry learned from Natasha had been given by Tony the task of shedding light on Simon Cowell’s real nature. Natasha said Mark, Tony’s friend, was continuing to sort through evidence and trickling out the sort of damning stuff to let it surface to the right places. Persons involved, or news sources. 

Harry reaches over Louis. He strikes Simon in the chest hoping to make Simon release Louis. 

“Get your filthy hand off him!” Harry booms at Simon.

Instead of forcing a release Louis is jerked by Simon as Simon is knocked back by Harry’s shove. 

Accidentally the momentum created by Harry allows Simon to spin a bewildered Louis around, bring Louis into his chest, taking Louis completely away from Harry. Facing Harry, Simon’s quickly wraps his arms around Louis ensnaring the small lad tightly against his chest with forcefulness. It’s plain to see Louis has an immediate fear-response that comes from a history of this sort of thing with Simon. 

As Simon holds Louis in this full-body restraint Simon angrily shouts back at Harry while stepping away taking Louis farther from Harry.

“I think I’ll be keeping a hold of this succulent pixie until I decide if I’m ready to let him go.” Simon spits. “I miss the feel of this pretty thing, my body pressing against his sweet arse.” Simon puts a kiss on the side of Louis head for emphasis. Louis whips his head aside as best as he can to pull away but Simon quickly snaps his prize like Louis is a rag doll. Simon rants on. 

“What do you say Harry? How ‘bout both of us take Louis back into that dressing room, shall we?” 

Before Harry can decipher the meaning Simon continues on. “Ironman is here, isn’t he? Me and Stark need to have a little chat. If I hold onto this little pussy-boy, Tony will have to agree to see me, won’t he?” 

“Stark needs to make the stories coming out about me stop. He has to be the one behind it, it can only be him. Or would you and Stark like it if I do the same smear to Louis? How would you like to the world see your princess featured? Split-roasted between two daddies, in pictures with two men burying their cocks in his precious arse, every beautiful strain showing on his pretty face as he takes us? Hum? I have a large, large, large portfolio, all featuring the beauty of this little cock slut that I’m more than happy to share with the world. Oh, and so you know Harry, about sharing him, in the beginning how he’d love us to do him together, two daddies, dipping into his sweet, sweet hole, one after the other until we were fucking the cum out of him! Its a shame really that eventually he sensed something maybe wasn’t right, but I’m betting the world would like an eyeful of thoseimages I’ve kept, images of Louis taking cock, while the world reads their paper with their morning tea. Wouldn't they enjoy that Harry?”

Louis winches again. Is it from the threat of the reveal or the intensity of Simon’s restraint? Every time Louis tries to twist free from Simon’s arms tighten their hold on Louis. One hand works its way to Louis’ throat, squeezing, when Louis doesn’t stop resisting. With the hand constricting on Louis’ neck Louis goes pale like the choke-hold is a familiar trigger-creating a response from Louis that Louis has no control of. 

With Louis’ reaction Harry can see how all the abuse and trauma induced by Simon on Louis for so long is still far too fresh. Perhaps it cuts so deep in Louis psyche that it will never completely disappear. 

Harry feels helpless witnessing Louis descending into some trance like he is stunned. Louis enters some form of paralysis, stops resisting Simon, his head falling back against Simon’s shoulder. He fades out like he’s overtaken by a weird mix of acceptance and disintegration. 

Harry’s about to counter Simon’s threat but Simon, desperate to speak to Stark, loudly continues on berating Harry. He seems to know he has a powerless Louis as a bargain chip restraining Harry and it fuels Simon’s determination. Like all pathetically weak men habituated to abusing the vulnerable he feels infused with a false sense of power. Miscalculating his position, Simon becomes more brazen. 

“As soon as I pushed this pixie, saw him fall through the open elevator shaft on the day he went missing, I was so relieved. Relieved to be free from the way he always incensed me with rage! He should have died from the fall so I’d be rid of the spell he puts me under, but no. Sassy little Peter Pan survived, so strong for someone so small. After that, thankfully, at least he woke up blind, complexity unaware of who, or what, he was. And after he got a little better he was, for once, defenseless, lost, so easy to use. He accepted us.” 

Simon takes a breath to suck in air with his face drinking in Louis scent like it fuels his intention to purge his demons like they stem from Louis, the way Louis “insenses” him. 

”I rather enjoyed that, using Louis to spice things up with Paul, Louis so clueless so unencumbered by his love for you. Me and Paul both, found we liked sharing his body as ours to take. He took our demands easily at first, he was so beautifully confused. He accepted the lies we fed him as easily as he let us feed him cock. But you see Harry it's always been Louis’ nature to be a fighter, to question authority, like he was doing for you when I pushed him. So naturally his sass kept growing and growing. He began doubting us. Our story that he was a street slut, wasn’t enough for him. He began refusing serving us even when we would beat him. I thought I would be done with him when I sold him, but then Stark has to go act like some big hero, bring him back to you, and dig up all my dirty secrets? Why? To get revenge on behalf of this pretty piece of arse, damn me forever? Stark has gone too far with this, he’s finally driven away Paul... Paul has left me! My legal fees are a fortune and growing still, so I want to know what will it take to make Stark stop?” 

Harry watches how Louis is limp in Simon’s rage-infused hold. The only thing holding Harry back from rushing Simon, other than fear for Louis being jerked or hurt more, is how in the effort to restrain Louis has Simon so focused on doing that while eyeing Harry that Simon doesn’t realize that a group is formed behind him. They have heard his confessions, his admission, that he deliberately pushed Louis down an elevator shaft. Simon even admitted that he had no remorse in doing it. 

With no filter Simon inferred that he had been using Louis. It was the exact same kind of sexual obsession for other victims that was being shown his behavior in recent reports; Simon’s secret pattern of signing boys he lusted for. Also Simon admitted that he sold Louis. Those hearing the confession get the impression Simon is suggesting he sold Louis to that crazy Jared fellow, which explains how Stark came to rescue Louis. Furthermore what Simon shouts in his blind rage suggests Simon snuck in today in hope to intercept Ironman. Simon is desperate to bargain for the cessation of damaging news stories. This implies Ironman came here because of this kind of potential threat on Louis by Simon. All around it looks very bad for Simon and very, very heroic for Stark. 

Before Harry can act to the barrage of comments from Simon the ever-protective leader of 1D’s security team, Paul, jumps into action taking Simon around the neck while ramming a fist into Simon’s lower back. It’s a perfect surprise delivery which makes Simon release Louis who slips downward only to be caught by Harry and swept up before he can collapse to the floor. 

The swarm of people put themselves in position containing Simon while Harry pulls Louis to him. Louis is wobbly with a lack of air, seemingly shockish from the assault. Niall, Zayn and Liam are quick to encircle the two 

Simon is pulled aside as secruity surrounds him to deal with this threat. 

Louis weak-kneed, shaking, doesn’t seem to have the ability to get his legs under him without Harry for support. As Harry wraps his arms around Louis bringing Louis into his chest. Louis his hands find either side of Harry’s face as he looks into Harry’s eyes, his own eyes seem a little out of focus. Louis’ lips part like he’s gasping a bit for air or though trying to speak. The other boys bring arms around Harry and Louis making them a core of some bundle of five bodies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sure hope you like the extra content I put in this to bring myself up to speed. Will be doing a flash back to the early beginnings of the band to add some sweet reminiscence that flows nicely with the ending, I hope. It’s my way of an apology for the updat delay. Sorry, easy jobs out of the country nannying for friends can become not so easy if some extra families join the mix! Thanks for reading lovies and please comment!


	61. Fall Into Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When fleeting chance of what was lost might not be forever gone.  
> ***

*** 

Louis remains weak-kneed, shaking, doesn’t seem to have the ability to get his legs under him without Harry for support. As Harry wraps his arms around Louis bringing Louis tighter into his chest Louis’ hands find their way to either side of Harry’s face as he looks into Harry’s eyes. Louis’ face shows lingering effects from the encounter with Simon. He searches Harry’s face for something with his lips parting like he’s trying to speak but still has a loss for words. 

The other three boys continue enveloping Harry and Louis in their arms. 

It’s puzzling what might exactly be going on inside Louis’ head as Harry holds him chest to chest. Harry imagines that he can feel Louis’ heart racing. Ever so little Louis softens, becomes more pliant, as if the longer Harry holds him the contact starts freeing Louis from the terror Simon evoked. Louis’ fingers begin to find their way from Harry’s face to his curls, twisting hair gingerly. Slowly their eyes come to deepen this connection. Louis is clearly still shaken, staying upright only with the support of Harry while the others continue with their bundling embrace of them. 

Maybe it’s the nature of the hug, the deeply emotional connection of five friends, that sweeps Harry’s thoughts back to a time once before when they all clung to each other like this. Sorting his thoughts about the familiar, Harry hears Louis whisper “Fall into me.” 

*** 

Louis’ words, “fall into me” once spoken by Harry to Louis combine with how the five of them are hugging after Simon’s assault left Louis shakened permeate Harry’s thoughts. He’s reminded of their past.

It is rare thing to see Louis weakened with pain. Other than when Tony brought Louis back to reunite them at mangement when Simon unexpectedly showed up, the only other time Harry has ever seen the normally feisty Louis so stricken was in the beginnning of their relationship. That was back the five of them went to the judges’ house, ironically Simon’s Barbados beach house, as a newly formed band hoping to be selected for one of the twelve highly coveted spots on the xFactor 2010. 

One Direction, as they decided to call themselves, had to earn this opportunity based on a performance of a single song for Simon and the guest judge, singer-actress Sinitta. 

The other band they were competing against, Princes and Rogues, was another group of five boys. From the perspective of Harry, Louis, Liam, Niall and Zayn the five lads in Princes and Rogues had advantages the five of them lacked. Being so recently anointed as a “group” One Direction were still totally unaware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They found their prospects for winning the opportunity to be put on the show daunting. Nervousness was on the rise once they got to Barbados. 

They were all so very young, very inexperienced. Harry and Niall were only just sixteen, Zayn was a little older but terribly shy. It fell to Liam and Louis to be de facto leaders because they were the oldest in their group and both had some experience in trying to make it to the xFactor from prior years. 

Liam had tried out for the xFactor two years before at fourteen, sent home with a “no” vote by Simon after making it to the judges house, Simon’s, ironically again. Given this second chance in a group Liam was burning with determination to go further than he’d made it as sololist. Liam was clearly ready to work through anything for the chance to be in the live show. Arriving in Barbados Liam openly vowed to never again to waver in front of Simon. Liam would have the perfect kind of confidence to support them as a group if he were not also so afraid of history repeating itself. 

Whatever the reason, Louis wasn’t acting like one among them who had been also given a second chance, like Liam, and a full set of “yeses” from judges sending him on from his solo 2010 audition in Manchester. 

Maybe for Louis it was that the effects of failing to go on in his try in 2009 were still too raw for him a year later, because even after he was put into their group by Simon and Nicole Swensinger he became very quiet, very modest, very timid when they arrived to Simon’s house. This early incarnation of Louis’ persona was very uncharacteristic of him. Soon enough the real Louis would shine through; his disposition innately playful, his propensity for perpetually energetic behavior being contagious, his tendency to be loud and full of sass being a defense mechanism that people would either love or hate but couldn’t help but make him stand out. 

It would take their band beating Princes and Rogues to reveal what would be one of Louis’ greatest giftsto their group, a gift foreshadowed as it played out significantly under the pressure at Simon’s beach house. It was in this critical contest where Louis’ ability to be altruistic and dismissive about his owns talent and focus to balance egos and other’s talents within the group that would prove pivotal to their success against Princes and Rogues. 

Harry remembers this during this sustaining hug like all those events of the past happened only yesterday. Every details floods back into Harry’s mind... 

...The song they had chosen for Simon and Sinitta was Natalie Imbugila’s ‘Torn’. With very little time for preparation they began the arduous challenge working with a vocal coach where they felt the pressures of every minute decision rising. Their coach advised them initially but ultimately had to leave them to themselves to decide on the final arrangement and finish their rehearsal. Louis was immediately leading in advocating for the impact of his bandmates vocals over his own. 

Louis had a style of guidance that would on bear out as significant over time as they began a long journey proving themselves as a band. Being advanced into the xFactor liveshown was the immediate challenge yet what they didn’t realize was ahead would be many tests of their abilities if One Direction were to be anything other than a short-run flash. The five of them would have to fight for every step moving forward; fight for a fan base, a recording contract, the respect of promoters and publicists. Media time. Respect among peers. 

Respect being particularly challenging for One Direction to earn because the prevailing opinion that boybands are mostly pretty faces, substance-free pop, management-contrived entities designed to pluck little girls of their nickels and dimes then fade away to make room the next newly manufactured boyband déjour. 

While those realities were yet to be clarified for One Direction in their first step, construct their best performance for Simon and Sinitta, it was Louis who showed an unwavering confidence in the talent they had combined as a band. 

“I really think,” Louis said after they changed around their song arrangement experimenting with each taking different parts of the shortened version of the song, “that we need our most powerful vocals leading off. That would be any one other than me,” 

Niall jumped in. “M’ fine with sticking to doing harmony in the chous. We’ve got one chance, I’m better not doing a solo. When you say power vocals my first thought is Liam, Zayn, Harry.” 

The second Niall finished speaking his fingers went into his mouth as he bites his nails. This would be a sign they would come to recognize as the barometer for Niall’s confidence. The stakes were so high. Niall was nervous. Do he bites his nails and chews them down to nubs. His face shows that he is rethinking Katie Perry’s words from his audition back home, those words sinking in for Niall now as pressure rose. 

Zayn was next to share his point of view. “Not going to lead with me! I’m good for chorus, background harmony, som’that.” 

Everyone is quick to look at Zayn with astonished expressions on their faces. They blurt out comments talking over each other, things like, what was he thinking? Has he ever a c t u a l l y listen to himself? If he isn’t a power voice than who else among them is? 

That’s when Louis demonstrates what would become his kind of gentle leadership, his way of advocating for their potential with a modesty and complete disregard for his own talents. It would be hard to imagine given their personalities, but the boys would come to know how Louis is always a good listener, trustworthy, and their greatest advocate of their singular talents. He puts his faith in the merit of the talents of the other four. 

“But Zayn, without your high notes, we can’t take Princes and Rogues out. Their too good, too experienced working together.” Louis says with the other three nodding agreement. “We need your voice, in a solo. Not buried in a chorus. We have to show Liam’s range, Harry’s sultry tone, your high notes. We can put Liam out first, he’s already sung Simon into the dirt once this year in his solo audition so he can do it again, or Harry can lead off. Harry’s so adorably, innocent, he’ll kill them with his cherub-charm before they even know he’s seducing them, but there is no way we can have your voice buried, only participating in a group harmony. At least you should come in at the the end, do that thing you do, that woo, woo sexy bit. We need your voice.” 

Niall is more animatedly nodding agreement while continuing to nibble on his fingers as Louis suggests the arrangement, the necessity of Zayn’s essential role. 

So it was they decided. The song would lead with Liam. Harry would come in next with his “killer charm”, Zayn, Niall and Louis would do backup, with Zayn adding a flourish at the end. The song was to be shortened from the four minute original. No bridge would be sung in their shortened performance. It would all ride on two minutes with every note being pure perfection. 

As time grew closer to their performance nerves set in. Harry begins to waiver about his role. Loosing confidence was something Louis couldn’t understand from him but rather than add to insecurities Louis is creative. He offers to lend his voice with Harry’s but he suggests they take a break before they rehearsed that, go for some ocean time rather than exhaust themselves with over rehearsing as their vocal coach warned they be careful not to do. The reality Harry would learn later only when he sees the tape of their performance was that Louis never intended to sing along with Harry, he never intended hold his mic anywhere close enough to his lips to affect Harry’s solo. The suggestion, deceptive but deceptive because of Louis’ faith in Harrys voice, is immediately followed by suggestion they break for a little beach play, designed to alleviate tension. 

As the five took advantage of Simon’s beachfront location playing in the waves this seems to put their nerves in check. That’s when the unthinkable happen. Louis was bitten, or stung by a sea urchin. At first it seems minor. He wanted to wash his foot at the pool side shower as they all laughed about it. But then within less than an hour his foot is swelling, the pain becoming excruciating. Without further delay he is sent to hospital. 

Once Louis left the other four descended into renewed nervousness. Without Louis’ lighthearted playfulness each became fearful of their prospect. They decide rather than worry they should try to rehearse. Rehearse they do again and again. Each time they practice the song feel more and more like they are making themselves more disjoin. They began switching how to lead off. Harry and Liam switch, then switch back. By the time the camera crew came around to check on them, they admit the unthinkable. They “just aren’t good enough without Louis”. Was it his voice? Was it his confidence in them? His humility? Humor? 

For Harry he knows it’s Louis’ sweet depth of belief in all of them. Like the ocean it seems endless. Harry tries to write off his attachment to Louis for support as a side effect of his crush on the blue-eyed Doncaster boy because it feels like more than that. They need Louis. Or at least Harry does. 

Minutes tick by closing in on their hour of doom; a performance they are no longer prepared for. 

By the time they hear the shuttle pull in the drive they are fully panicked about their prospects. They run to the car. Pull Louis into them without thinking of his pain. Louis yelps a tiny sound and winches at their enthusiasm and their foot-jarring reunion. With little effort they swoop Louis up in a cradle of four to bring him inside. 

.... 

This shared past is in Harry mind drawn into his thoughts as now, like then five of them are united in a group hug years later, hauntingly like once before at Simon’s house million of minutes ago. Then an now it’s the same feeling for Harry. After all their success Harry feels the essential need for Louis. If he doesn’t have Louis at his side Harry could not take the stage. Not now, not after loosing Louis for a year, performing with the void Louis’ absence left, only to have Louis back and yet perhaps not completely. 

And then Harry thinks about what Louis said. Fall into me. 

Harry copies what Louis was doing seconds ago; Harry’s hands frame Louis’ face. He searches Louis’ eyes, crelauean pools of blue that speak to him. Repeating Louis’ words Harry says “Fall into me?” 

For the first time the shock of this thing with Simon which just happened has cracked free something Louis actually remembers. Harry can see it. A memory of Harry saying to Louis in Barbados, “Fall into me” when Louis was worried he’d fall when the had to walk out in front of Simon and sing a song that held in the balance their fate. 

As Harry is returning Louis’ face-embracing touch of seconds before. Louis’ eyes are still, focusing on Harry like if he can only drink in a little bit more of Harry he could find his strength to stand independently. Harry’s fingertips on Louis’ skin, Louis’ in Harry’s hair, both finding a deeper depth to their search, “Louis we need you, do you feel this? Do you remember me saying that very thing to you after you were stung, that if you started to fall you could fall into me?” 

“Fall in to me....” Louis says, “yes, yes I do. Did I see that in those videos of us when we came together, one of those old clips from the show?” 

The others have loosened their embrace while staying in touch feeling that something transformative is happening with Louis and Harry. 

It’s a memory of an intensely meaningful event between the two of them that Louis recalls. At least for Harry it was. It was certainly something no camera ever caught. As above them a stadium of fans scream for them, for Louis’ return Harry finds hope. Hope that some flicker of their past is rekindled in Louis’ injured brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was stretching the concluding details with more with ”romance-y” stuff for you when abducted by aliens, seduced by great ski conditions.... or experiencing some weird writing block because I hate to let go. When I’m done with this I’ll miss the interactions! (Crying a little.) Please share thoughts!


	62. “Do You Mind!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is timeline is boot camp of xFactor 2010. Harry’s memory of, more or less. If you want to skip this and stay in the main timeline jump to chapter 66.  
> ***

“Do you mind,” Harry hears someone mutter in that annoyed-sounding voice, “that’s my spot.” Harry steps aside as this lad, larger than him, hulkier, with a lot of attitude, moves to where he wants to be on the stage. 

The other boy didn’t have claim to the spot but whatever. Besides all the boys would be rotated. The line would move, down one then up and across. Everyone would have equal access to front or back so the judges could see them regardless of where they start. So why the fuss? Harry had simply followed with Aiden Grimshaw, new friend and one of many rivals for the chance to go on in the live show, to the stage. Harry sort of deliberately wanted to take a spot where he could see another boy, a familiar face, also advanced from the same open auditions that brought Harry here.

Ignoring the tone of the annoyed boy, Harry looks over to view the nice boy, the familiar face from Manchester auditions, Louis. 

Part of the appeal for Harry was that Louis is quite fit and much more playful compared to most of the other people at this “Bootcamp”, at least so it seems because Louis can usually be found messing around with a carefree vibe while most of rest of the pool of people look preoccupied or worried. 

The worry. Who wouldn’t be? After two days at Bootcamp something new was thrown out to the two hundred plus people hoping to go on to the judges houses. They will be learning some choreography and demonstrating how they move in front of the judges. With a few exceptions, when the announcement was made most faces bore the strain of fearing the selection process is far from coming down to being the best singer. With the additional challenge some must think the odds of being sent home are growing for them, so many were like the annoyed-boy, just terribly frustrated. 

Dance was never a requirement before but then the judges like to keep things interesting.Harry’s worried, not so much about dancing, more like because many of the new challengers who weren’t at Manchester were impressive. Some of the boys, in particular are astoundingly good singers. It’s likely the boys category is the strongest of the four groups. With that realization Harry watches like Louis like he’s a drug because something about Louis takes Harry to a happy place. 

When Louis smiles those around him light up. He’s got at least one other boy buddying up with him when Harry looks to where Louis is positioned on the crowded stage. The boy is constantly laughing at whatever it is Louis is saying. Louis does an adorable nose scrunching thing. He’s laughing unabashedly, mostly it seems, at himself, but his carefree manner drawls others in to be near him like the boy laughing at him. It seems Louis radiates sunshine. It sort of makes Harry feel less stressed watching this because Harry also thinks that it could be said that he knows Louis. They could be friends, after all they’d exchanged two words over pee at their first audition in Manchester. Harry wonders about the boy hovering near Louis. Is he from Manchester too? 

The open auditions pulled together from over thousands of hopefuls these two hundred plus boot camp particpants for another round of competition at Wembley Stadium. Some of these people were the best from auditions in Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff, Birmingham, London in addition to Manchester. All want desperately to go on to the judges houses, the final selection stage before the live show with only twelve acts. 

With so many new faces this stage is almost more overwhelming than the first audition. Harry realizes despite pressure he’s feeling something like jealousy for not being the one standing by Louis instead of the expected pressure which is odd so he looks around curious, seeking another reassuring face to focus on. 

Some of new hopefuls Harry’s met in the past two days are easy for Harry to like immediately, like Niall, a gregarious lad from Ireland. Others comparatively tend be very reserved, more business-like. Liam Payne, for example whom Harry learned had some prior xFactor experience, seems very internally-focused. Harry thinks that Liam is polite but trying not to be overly friendly for self-preservation. Harry also sees Liam as being by far one one the best in this category. Liam’s more aloof manner, like Niall’s contrastingly outgoing style, is simply telling of how high the stakes are for all of them. Clearly some competitors like the annoyed lad who barked at Harry are simply blatantly out for blood. Win at all cost. Don’t be friendly. 

And yet there is Louis, amidst all the tension there is something contagious about this energetic ball of sunshine called Louis that feels like home to Harry so as he listens and watches instructions on the chorography Harry’s attention keeps drifting back over to his happy place, the boy in the berry-colored beanie. Louis is entirely too nice to everyone around him to be seriously stressed by all this next-level pressure. To look at Louis you’d think he is oblivious to the challenge. He’s playing around constantly, almost like he isn’t bothered by any of these worldly things. Harry decides that Louis is a personification of Peter Pan. Peter Pan, here to take some of them away to a land where everyone is carefree as he is.

Shaking off this fantasy Harry listens and watches as the final steps are shown to them by the xFactor Creatve Director Brian Friedman, and some xFactor dancers. Sure enough Louis is quick to learn the steps like it’s all a game to him and he is quickly able to do them with his otherworldly fluidity and elegance. He must have had some dance experience, Harry says to himself. 

At a short break in dance practice Harry thinks about how this is actually the second time Harry has seen Louis’ dancing. The first time was before they’d met in Manchester. It was a night that was hard for Harry to forget. 

It happened at a Script concert. At the event they had a fleeting encounter. They merely exchanged a few, but memorable, flirtatious looks throughout the concert. Harry remembers quite well because Louis was close enough that Harry wanted to approach but he chose not to because Louis was surrounded by about five other boys. The boys were dancing so close to Louis, almost with him. Harry wasn’t sure if the cute boy, Louis, who kept looking at him too was with one of the other lads. Louis seemed far too comfortable about the attention he was getting from the boys he was with even as some of the lads stepped into him so that his bum was pressed nearly suggestively tight into their bodies. 

The near grinding image made an such an impression on Harry that he has yet to quite understand it. He remembers that he had a dream about it one night that culminated in a wet dream waking him when morning came more than once after the concert. 

As Harry studies Louis to escape some feelings of permeance anxiety over the chorography he recalls their fleeting exchange is Manchester. Before he can get too lost in the feelings Louis creates they are back to practicing. Brian announces that if they aren’t sweating yet, they aren’t trying hard enough. 

Watching Louis so happy with this challenge while some are struggling has a contagious effect on Harry. He finds he too begins to laugh at himself and the laughing takes some of the stress away. Harry soon becomes very comfortable in his own body as he dances while he senses the nerves are on the rise in those around him. 

Tension soon begins to visibly gut some of the contestants. Brian tries to address it. So does Simon. To be a performer all of them will have to move. Their feet have to work too, not just their voice. Despite assurances that this is not a judged component some contestants become more openly frustrated that their bodies seem to betray them. One boy has such anxiety about the choreography that when the boys are called to the stage to show the judges what they’ve learned the boy group is interrupted prematurely. The music istops when Simon realizes one boy is missing. Someone goes to search for him. 

After the boy is found Simon goes off to backstage to speak with the boy because he, Zayn, a lad with a killer voice, is too shy to dance apparently. Required or not. 

It’s the xFactor boot camp. Harry considers. What is the quiet, but talented, Zayn thinking by trying to hide during this phase? 

All the while the boys who are on still on stage waiting for Zayn to come back or be put on an parting bus immediately most are passing the time taking stabs at running through the choreography without the music, this is an attempt to alleviate heightened anxiety. The girls’ category are watching the boys in their faces it’s clear what the outcome of failure to dance for an Zayn means. 

This is the first time Harry realizes how much one can be a great singer, like this Zayn is because Simon cares enough to try to find him, but if one refuses to dance, or one misses an opportunity to develop a stage presence as Brian told them the dancing is about. Refusing Like Zayn was attempting can make them slide down likeliness of live show participance even though dancing isn’t part that is formally judged.

Distracted thinking about why Zayn would take such a risk or about who sung the best in the boy’s category, Harry realizes he’s lost sight of Louis as everyone broke their position in the line as many try to repeat a few steps to keep themselves warm and loose, ready when the music is cued. 

That’s when Harry steps back and feels someone there which makes him trip and fall. He’s not sure if it’s the wind or feathers because he’s saved from a hard face-plant on the ground with softness that goes to catch him as he falls, smoothly lifting him back up in a sweeping movement. For a split second this pulls Harry into his savior before he’s put upright on his own two feet and the person who c a r r i e d him aloft is moved away once Harry is standing. 

It’s Louis. Louis who caught him and set him back on his own two feet. Harry is dazed with the beauty of the smile on Louis’ face. His blue eyes are framed with surrounding smile-crinkles. Louis’ laughing eyes seem to sparkle with some internal glow. For whatever the reason, maybe Harry’s startled dazed look, Louis proceeds to laugh even more at Harry’s mute astonishment and takes a lock of hair with a finger to pull it loose from Harry’s grey beanie. 

“Falling for me Curly? You are welcome to fall into me anytime,” 

Harry is about to speak when the imposing and unwelcome interuptin of the voice of another competitor breaks this pleasant, flirtatious moment between he and Pixie Pan, er...Louis. 

“He should watch where he’s putting his enormous, clumsy feet or he’s going have problems making it through because his pretty face won’t look so good once I put it in the floor.” Snarls the rather large, very unfriendly looking lad who earlier claimed Harry was invading what was “H I S spot.” 

Comparing stature of the three boys, Louis and Harry combined would have little chance with this surly-tempered, hulk-like aggressor. So it’s all the more humorous when Louis, maybe all of 5’7” puts his dainty hands on his hips while snapping back like he can take this guy. 

“So you’re saying,” Louis sasses, “that your sorry excuse of a face is because of some accident to your face, is it? It’s not heredity? Good to know, at least your offspring might have a chance.” 

Harry feels the guy ignite before he registers the aggressor’s movement. The lad makes a leap forward at Louis but Louis simply slides to the side. Louis even does the arm flourish that was part of the chorographed dance steps Brian has taught them which probably insures that everyone around them would be unaware that the situation between the three of them is an escalation of tension. A fight would be cause for immediate dismissal so the act is brilliantly quick on Louis’ part. 

As Louis looked the be playing around the aggressor’s momentum makes this lad do exactly what he was so offended with Harry for doing accidentally trip over another person near by. 

Adding to the affront both aggressor and the innocent bystander are toppled to the floor but before more can happen with the squirmish the call sounds for them to line back up. Awareness of this scuffle is lost in the moment. 

Louis simply saunters away but not before giving a parting wink to Harry, repeating the words, “Fall into me anytime, a n y t i m e, Curly.” 

At that moment Harry is simply in love. Or at least he has his first very real crush. 

***


	63. Keep Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly overly 1D-fetus forming timeline with fluffy details from “the historical records” and some pure fantasy (rubbish) thrown in. Hope you like it.

***

After the boys dance Harry is sure he’s done well. Well, but he has butterflies thinking about what happened in the seconds before the dance when he tripped, fell, was caught by an angel and then insulted by a larger boy who he accidentally tripped over, a lad with intent to pulverize him for the offense, only to be rescued yet again by a blissfully, unfettered, third lad with lush lashes, a killer smile and wickedly sharp wit. 

Harry looks around for Louis. 

Not seeing Louis anywhere Harry considers going to talk with Liam because rumors are floating around that the while dance is not part of the elimination but some details of the evaluation criteria are confusing, like how they’ve altered the age for the boys bracket. If Liam has been advanced before Harry thinks he’s likey to know more about what is going on. 

Harry starts to walk over to where Liam stands when he is greeted with a arm sliding behind his back. It feels feather light like Louis’ catch of him earlier so he turns, quip ready to flirt with Louis only to see it’s not Louis. It’s friendly, confident, attractive Aiden Grimshaw. Aiden looks relaxed because it’s increasingly apparent that he has one of the more promising voices in the competition. He also has the looks. And Aiden, like Liam, was one of the better prepared contestants for the chorography. 

“Nervous?” Aiden asks warmly. 

Harry just laughs. “Of course! You would be too if you weren't so freaking perfect!” 

Aiden blinks slowly like he’s too aware of his standing in the ranks among the competition to blush and play it modest. Harry’s comment was not false flattery. Aiden knows this. 

Aiden smiles, looking at Harry’s mouth, like he wants to make a compliment back to Harry but is too reserved. Under the flattering scrutiny Harry can’t help but blush. Is Aiden flirting? Harry questions in silence while he thinks about how Louis was not the slightlest reserved in contrast to Aiden’s approach. Louis was playfully brash. Bold. 

Harry realizes that Aiden is still touching him, a hand remaining in contact with Harry’s elbow in a tender way. Sincerity is written on Aiden’s face when Aiden thoughtfully asks, “Are you okay Harry?”

“Not all of us have reason for your level of confidence. Like I said, you were perfect earlier, sang perfect, smashed learning the choreography...” 

Aiden leans into Harry whispering. This gives Harry a mix of emotions, something of the closeness to Harry is more than a sharing of secrets. “See the thing is Harry, with Simon, it’s not always just about who is the best, but more about who is the money, a good deal for Simon to take in. Or simply put, let’s just say Simon has secrets.” 

Their eyes meet with Harry’s having a startled, revealation. Aiden is suggestive of something important. It’s sincere in Aiden’s expression but Harry doesn’t fully get the meaning. Harry doesn’t want to look stupid. Being some couple of years younger than Aiden Harry decides to play it cool dispite his confusion. 

“So I’ve heard. I mean. Simon, right. Secrets.” Harry shuffles. 

A minute of silence hangs between them. Harry thinks. He is more confused. What secrets? He wants to ask. Why doesn’t he? This might be really important. He doesn’t want to sound like a kid of just sixteen. Not in front of this attractive young man who still touches him caringly while sharing secrets. 

“So your new friend Louis, the one with the nice bum, the soft touch, the smooth moves. He knows. About Simon, bet you that if he makes it through he’s going to play the “I got a girlfriend, see how straight I am’’ approach around Simon. He’s got gay written all over him and Simon has a history. A thing with boys. Watch yourself Harry, those lips, those eyes, all those ridiculous curls of yours, dimples. Sometimes Simon takes someone young, too good to loose, but too stupid to see what he’s doing and he takes them just close enough to fame to make them needy. Then he springs the trap.” 

Harry looks at Aiden searching. The implication is frightening. Is this a joke? Is Aiden cunningly playing some kind of a mind-game? 

No. With the sincerity in Aiden’s face it’s apparent that he is being honest. And his body language, his tenderness suggests he likes Harry. Likes him a lot. Before Harry can ask more the boys are are asked to return to the stage. The moment of calling names for final decision of who goes on to judges houses is upon them. Harry is sure that Aiden will move on therefore Aiden has no reason to tell Harry this now unless it’s a legit warning in Harry’s best interest. 

“Why are you telling me this?” Harry says getting bold enough to move beyond the embarrassment for being so young and potentially so naive. He needs to know the implication since he feels now after this lastest challenge just how much he wants this journey to continue. 

Aiden puts his arm across Harry’s shoulder. He’s whispering to Harry again. This close contact seems unnecessary with everyone so over-wrought with anxiety as minutes tick by closing in on the announcement. No one is looking at them. Most people are looking down at their own feet actually like they were dreading as much as anticipating as they couldn’t help but reflect on every little detail about themselves. They all have their bags packed sitting in the staduim and once the selections are made those who don’t go on might have a brief exit interview but then it’s “Here is your bus ticket home. Thanks for trying.” 

Harry doesn’t want to be one of the people sent away. He wanted this opportunity when he auditioned in Manchester, more when he got here, but now, now more than ever he really, really wants it. Harry looks past Aiden looking for Louis. Aiden’s reveal makes him need to see that comforting pixie-like ray of sunshine. Warming smile. 

“I’m telling you because I think you could be selected. I’m pretty sure Matt will be picked, maybe Liam. Maybe me. You’re a wildcard. I wonder how Simon could risk to let you go. I don’t think he can. Earlier, when you were talking with Louis, did he say anything. He’s wickedly good at reading people. And he’s wanker enough to not give a fuck what people think. Did he say anything about Simon? Would not be surprised if he knows what Simon is. He seems to have some street-savvy, he’s done a few things, I’d gather.” 

Harry is shaking his head “no”. The Louis Harry has been captivated by is in some fairy-land bubble. He’s floating around without a care like Louis would be knocked over with a feather if he were to go on. He’s sassed off an aggressive arse to look after the younger Harry while saying all the sweetest things of assurance to Harry. Harry believes if Louis were to make it through his wings would reveal and his pixie-pan form would be seen. Street savvy? Harry doesn’t see that. Quick wit? Yes. Calculating? No. 

“He was saying fall into me, because I tripped. It wasn’t anything about Simon. I was just clumsy, he was nice.” 

Aiden’s response to Harry’s explaination is cut off. Approaching them is one of the xFactor crew. The man has been walking among all the contestants clipboard in hand checking off names for boys to make sure all return to the stage. Seeing Harry and Aiden he says, “Boys, Aiden, Harry, time to go back out before the judges.” He checks off their names and moves on seeing another few boys to alert. 

Aiden dropped his interest in Harry and immediately turns and follows on the man’s heals. A tinge of fear looked to seep into his countenance as Aiden heads through the crowd of girls, groups, and “overs” toward the stage along with other hopefuls in the boys category. 

Once the clipboard man and Aiden have turn to walk off Harry realizes that Louis had been following, walking right behind the rather big, clip-board reading man, like Louis was following in his wake to ease meandering a path through the crowd. Or to find Harry. 

Louis’ eyes meet Harry’s and the smol lad’s entire face lights up. Where had been an expression of tenuousness and uncertainty on Louis’ face becomes a warm, beaming smile that ignites Harry’s heart with a feeling of something Harry likes. 

Louis says “Harry”, and it’s spoken with something between a whisper and a gasp because it’s so incrediably soft, almost intimate-like because of its wispiness. 

Louis is obviously worried like all the boys are. His once carefree demeanor is rocked by the reality the big moment is upon them. Maybe the facade of playful immunity to stress was just that, an act. 

Harry is paused, a queasiness over the impending announcement makes his feet feel leaded in their place. 

Louis must sense this, he repeats Harry’s name again in a near whisper while one hand goes to touch feather light on the side of Harry’s face. “Dimples, see it in your eyes. Star. You’re one of them plucked from the sky but meant to be out there shining among them.” 

Louis retracts his hand reluctantly which leaves Harry’s heart skipping a beat as it aches for Louis to put the hand back. Linger in his touch like Aiden did. Harry wants Louis to say more words that sound like poetry he just spoke because it’s soothing to him. Harry’s own words of reply are caught in his throat because the hand is gone but Louis’ gaze has settled disturbingly intense on Harry’s lips as Louis licks his own. That coincidental timing makes Harry wonder; Louis’ lips are so pink, thinner than the girl’s Harry has kissed. What would Louis’ lips feel like? Standing among hundreds of people who seem oblivious to everything in the heightened stressful state created by Bootcamp, Harry knows they could kiss, or so he believes because Louis is sending every signal. 

Breaking this fantasy Louis speaks again. “Better say goodbye now Curly. No way they are calling me name. You though, you’re a treasure. Rose lips, dimples, eyes so green Poseidan would weep, legs for days, those curls. All that beauty and then that voice. Simon will keep you. There’s no way he won’t.” 

Harry would be flattered accept he has two sources of conflict. First he doesn’t want to let this flirtatious friendship end. It’s been only a few days, their actual amount of time interacting alone measured in minutes, but then it hits him. Following on what Aiden said. What does Louis mean? Simon will keep him? Harry wants to stay, they all do. Yet for Harry it won’t mean as much without Louis.

Then the second thing hits him. 

Simon. 

Will. 

Keep him.


	64. Making a Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making of a band. There is actually a “summary” near the end of this section to remind us where we are because this is all Harry’s POV where he recalls how the “fall into me” comment is potentially significant.  
> ***

The boys take place in a line stretching across the stage. Harry is standing beside Aiden, but when he looks with anticipatiption that Louis is to his other side he finds Louis stopped further back along the stage. They are separated by many, many boys. He hoped he’d be flanked by two lads from whom he drew the most strength because walking out before Simon and Nicole Scherzinger he saw in all the other boy’s faces what he feels. Fearful anticipation. 

A decision that couldn’t come soon enough is upon them. Harry is on the precipice of nausea so he resigns to push every distraction from his mind. 

The first name is called. It’s John Wilding. 

Painfully slow more names are called. Nicola Festa. Paige Richardson. Aiden Grimshaw, Marlon McKensie, Karl Brown... Matt Cardle. Then it’s declared. 

Seven names. Seven boys. One place in the Boys category remains. By this time rumors had floated about some of the people already called. For example after Aiden Grimshaw’s Manchester audition with the rumor was that Simon Cowell pointedly said of the audition, “Now that’s a popstar!” 

With Aiden selected Harry considers his chances in the ranks with the caliber of singers still standing there on stage with him. Remarkably, Liam is one of those remaining in front of the judges. If Liam hasn’t been picked yet Harry is certain there’s no chance of him going on. 

The last person called. Of course. It’s Tom Richards. Tom is one of the better singers, someone that Harry believes, like Matt or Aiden, could easily win the entire show if he continues to have strong backing from Louis Walsh which was the rumor about Tom. Ant then just like that Simon says “sorry guys” and they are unceremoniously dismissed from the stage. Harry wonders if Aiden’s comment about Simon is indeed, spot on. 

The remaining boys wander off with slightly stunned expressions. Harry wants to cry but he’s too numb but then when he gets behind the stage and he sees Niall in tears this overwhelms his resolve for self control. As tears slowly roll down his face Harry watches Niall who is captured by the cameras and petered for a reaction. Niall tires to express his feelings about ha own awful it feels to stand there hoping to be called. Realizing he’s being filmed Niall starts trying to tuck his sorrowful face into his jumper in part to dry his tears, in part to hide his face from the camera that is hounding him for emotions. Those of them like Harry and Niall who are discarded have to endure displaying their feelings in an exit interview as part of their contract to participate in th Bootcamp phase. The reality of how gutting this is suddenly more humiliating than Harry imagined when he agreed to Bootcamp regulations. 

After interviewing Niall the same camera crew quickly catches up with Liam. Liam has a story of particular interest to the ratings because of how Liam made it to the judges house once before. Liam coming back this second time even stronger, and better prepared, only to be shut out again makes Liam the perfect element of drama that the xFactor likes to showcase. 

Words that Liam says through his stream of tears echos Harry’s feeling. 

”I just don’t want to go home, just don’t want to go home”. Liam says looking like he’d rather evade this torcher of the cameras in his face. It’s palpably too heartless. 

“Don’t want to go home” perfectly sums up Harry’s feelings. Liam is clearly gutted; he’s openly sobbing. As bad as Harry feels for himself he can imagine how Liam must feel more deeply the devastation. Harry considers trying to comfort him but then with Aiden among the celebrating boys selected, Harry looks for his own source of comfort among this group of discards. Louis. 

Spying Louis’ berry-colored beanie where Louos is standing somewhat away from the crowd of rejected boys Harry moves with heavy disappointment leading his legs toward Louis which is when the cameras intercept him. 

Harry tries to show some dignity as he’s questioned but like most of the youth around him the emotions are so raw. Like Liam and Niall he struggles to keep it together. Tears flow. Once the cameras leave him Harry immediately feels the void. He looks again for the lad wearing a berry-colored beanie. 

In clear view of the camera crew, but not giving into sobbing, emotional display, stands Louis. He is looking down at his feet. There’s another dejected-looking boy talking to him. Unlike most of the boys Louis’ face shows no sign of tears. Maybe that’s why the cameras didn’t make a run to interview Louis instead seeking out those who were openly pathetic. The only sign of Louis’ disappointment is extremely subtle, his normally playful energy is completely subdued, his demeanor a little less sunny. When he sees Harry walking over to him Louis gives Harry a small, welcoming smile. 

The boy talking to Louis is rambling on about praying when Harry comes to join them. Did Louis pray for God’s help too this boy asks Louis? To that Louis says something that isn’t meant to be unkind evidenced by his tone. 

“No. This morning me mum called to wish me luck. She reminded me of the important thing. Life is full of opportunity and that we, me family are so lucky, we’re all so healthy. Happy. You see she is a nurse at the premie-unit of the hospital, this morning when she called me, she was just leaving work after a long, terribly sad night with a family there. She told me about this premature baby that, despite all the efforts to save him, all the prayers, he still died. It puts things in perspective. Save prayers for whats really important. I’m just happy I made it here. In or out I’ve got it pretty good.” 

The boy nods after the off-putting comment. It’s a severe thing to hear but it does put things in perspective. He looks at Harry and with a shrug walks away to find someone else to commiserate with. That’s when Louis’ slightly emotional detachment softens because Harry is in front of him with tears still brimming in his eyes. 

“Oh Harry, Harry, I’m so sorry, dumbstruck that went that way for you.” Louis says soothingly as he steps closer to Harry with his body language suggesting he is considering hugging Harry. 

“Sorry, sorry for what? It’s the same for all of us. Aren’t you sorry for yourself too? I mean you were great.” Harry says. There’s yearning in the air between them. Harry wants to be bold, to pull Louis into him. XFactor dreams crushed Harry resumes curiousity for what Louis’ lips would feel like on his because he finds Louis’ distinctive voice intriguing, it spawns his curiousity about his lips, a kiss. As if Louis is aware of Harry’s curiosity or thinking the same thing about Harry’s kiss, Louis licks his lips making them more appealingly pretty. 

“Yes, I meant that I’m sorry for suggesting you were easily in, it’s not easy, not in the slightest. I mean, wow, Liam not going on makes absolutely no sense because everyone is saying he was better this year than his first time, he’s amazing, as a singer, his stage presence, he works so much harder than some of the others they chose. So why not Liam? Why not you? I watched Nicole’s face when you did your song. She was so clearly into you, so why chose those lads instead of you or Liam? Or Zayn for that matter? What about Niall, he’s got that Irish charm in spades, why not Niall? But me, no. I know I’m not in the same league as you, the others, or the boys they picked.” 

Harry can only think to say “They're all really, really good.” Whatt Harry actually wants to say he can’t. He wants to kiss Louis. Harry stops speaking before his emotional state lets those words slip out. How can he tell Louis, still nearly a stranger to him, that he has wanted to kiss him since the very first time he saw Louis when their eyes met across a packed concert venue where Louis was dancing wth other boys? Or that he wanted to kiss Louis again when they fortuitously met in the bathroom in Manchester at the first audition? Or now, here, on the heels of great disappointment? Maybe the kiss would feel so right and this would all be some insignificant thing that didn’t matter. 

Louis nods about the “really, really good” comment as he returns to looking down at his feet again. His shoulders say sad, if shoulders can be, like those invisible wings Harry imagines were clipped by the disappointment. In a stark, emotionless near-isper Louis says, “It’s like a fever isn't it? Wanting something so badly and being told to go away.” Louis has a slightly more vacant edge to him but he’s strong, stronger than Harry and the others he is still not giving into tears. 

Harry stands there in silence wishing Louis to keep talking. Say anything, talk more about fever because something about Louis is making Harry feel feverish, because, if nothing else, just the sound of Louis’ voice makes Harry feel bathed in comfort. Even without a kiss disappointment is diluted into something else when Louis speaks, like they will be friends forever after this. They will call each other on the phone. Friends bonded by the big loss of a shared dream. 

Harry wants to return Louis’ praise of him, to articulate how much he loves Louis’ voice too and it’s effects upon him but he instead he gets lost in looking at the delicate features of Louis’ face. The way Louis’ beanie directs some of Louis’ hair to frame his features the wispy fringe sticking out from the hat accentuating his finely structured cheekbones. His eyelashes too mesmerize Harry. They seem too long and thick to be real. He could be a mascara model, Harry is caught thinking. And those pink lips. He’s about to part them, maybe to finally say more when all the boys are told to gather around for an announcement.

“We have a request from the judges for some of you to return to the stage. So if I call your name, come with me.” 

Standing there again Harry feels the nausea. Niall and Louis both seem to be biting their fingers nervously. Some among the group of boys look excited. Harry hears a whispers amount the gathered contestants. “Could they be expanding the boys group?” “Did somebody they took drop out already?” 

“Zayn , Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson.” 

Harry heart races. The other four’ face bear excitement and fear. What is happening? 

.... 

The five of them are lead to the stage Harry can hardly breath as he looks at the faces of Simon and Nicole. He looks at the four girl solo contestants. They stand in a line holding hands. Meanwhile the five of them, Harry, Zayn, Niall, Louis and Liam loop arms on each other’s shoulders or behind their neighbor’s back. Harry extends an arm behind Niall reaching around Zayn standing next to Niall where he meets a hand he knows by the sensation causing fusion it creates in the touch must be Louis’ . Louis other arm is across shoulders of Liam standing at the farthest end. This five are holding each other in their arms extended to unify them for the impending news. Harry’s hand is Louis’ seemingly smaller, more delicate hand than Harry’s makes Harry feel so strong in the face of such unpredictable news. Louis still is the only one among them to avoid crying so far and he maintains his composure wlooking at the two judges with a lazer focus. 

Slowly Harry begins to worry more amp do more about what in store for them. Aiden said Simon keeps those he can use, he likes boys, but also on stage are four girls from the solo girls category. Such narfarious behavior wouldn’t be condoned by Nicole Scherzinger, she couldn’t. But clearly Simon’s taste in boys is something he hides with his self-imposed closet. Confused, all Harry can do at is stand there. Arms of the five straying from one of them to the next.

Nicole speaks to the nine contestants. Her voice is soft and sweet. Her lovelyiness come through as she tells them. “We’ve thought about it and we fell that you all are too good to let go...” 

..... 

When they are told they have a chance to remain in the contest as a boy group act, the four girls similarly as a girl group, they are elated. Sure, they hear it when Simon says they will have to work ten, twelve, foutrrn hous a day because they are completing against other established groups, but this is a life-line extended. Harry is having a hard time with his legs feeling like they might give out. He sees Zayn grabbing his hair like he needs to do this keep his head attached. He sees Liam bend forward and do a victorious pounding arm gesture while shouting a “yes!” 

And then there’s Louis. He begins jumping around, like Peter Pan. Harry wants to laugh and expects the imagined wings to spring free but the anxiety has left him ill, almost ready to purge his stomachs contents on the stage he’s facing in his prone position when Liam comes to help him stand up. 

No sooner is Harry standing upright than Louis eyes meet his and in one bound Louis leaps into Harry. Harry barely has a split second to catch him before Louis releases his thighs grip on Harry leaves after a single brief celebratory spin as they all are gleefully cheering each other as Simon speaks making them quiet. But in that split second... 

Soothingly warm to the touch in Harry’s hands underLouis’ arse, soft in a way that makes Harry want more and in contrast firm are Louis’ thighs, against Harry’s waist, placed such that all of this together makes Harry weak. 

“Guys, guys, guys, girls...you’re going to a e to work ten, twelve, fourteen hours a day” Simon is saying to the two new groups about the lifeline opportunity extended to them. 

From the stage the nine of them run as soon as Simon’s is finished his encouraging warning. 

Four girls, five boys. Heading off stage running past XFactor host Dermot O’Leary Harry runs right for Aiden Grimshaw. All the contestants of all categories are, for now, briefly not engaged in a battle any more. They are friends. They greet each other as such. It’s too soon to think the live show and a huge hurdle that awaits for most of them. They still face elimination at the judge’s houses. 

As Harry runs to Aiden he thinks that Aiden and the other seven boys will face off at their judge’s home. Who their judge will be is not decided yet. 

The same will be the case for the other categories too. Harry knows he and his new mates will be a long shot; only four in each category go on to the live show. 

*** (Time shift with in the other time shift....Harry had a recall of how they became a group and he needed Louis’ strength. That lead to what you just read. Now it’s jumped back to them as the band at the judeges house and Harry, just sixteen still needing Louis. The day of their competition agains Princes and Rogues and Louis has gone to hospital. “Fall into me”, relevance in the main story timeline to be revealed.) 

He knew it. It hits Harry like a ton of bricks. They have rehearsed and rehearsed switching their order with Louis at hospital nothing is right. Nothing is right in Harry. He thinks this and his confidence wanes as they are making their two minute do or die performance for Simon and Sinita.


	65. Kiss the Boy

He knew it. It hits Harry like a ton of bricks. They have rehearsed and rehearsed switching their order with Louis at hospital nothing is right. Nothing is right in Harry. Hre thinks this and his confidence wanes as they are making their two minute do or die performance for Simon and Sinita. But then he heard it, so did they all. 

The sound of the taxi bringing Louis back to Simon’s Barbados estate send the four of them in a scurry to greet him. The driver opens the door and a slightly groggy-looking Louis moves to get out. Louis struggles to have coordination. It seems he’s affected by some drugs admisnter at the hospital. The problem of avoiding standing on his swollen foot launches the four of them to amass him in a hug. Their words are mumbled over each other’s as they simultaneously express their joy he’s back and press together. With no real coordinated plan they all assume the task of taking Louis off his feet to carry him inside. It’s an award carry, two on each side, making them potentially more jarring on Louis and pain inflicting than helpful but none of them can let Louis go. 

When they make a move to set Louis down on a plush couch he topples forward because while their doting enthusiasm is sincere it’s also overridden by uncoordinated clumsiness. 

Louis falls and it’s Harry who catches him. The manner in which Harry catches Louis is such that they have a moment where they are chest to chest their faces so close their lips nearly touch. Louis has a drugged-induced dreamy quality to his expression. Making it more striking is the way his sun-kissed skin is freshly bronzed by their earlier beach play and this compounds the allure of his dazzlingly cerulean colored-eyes. Three of them are suspended by awkward embarrassment over their clumsy, disorganized, fall-inducing action but Harry has a sensation of a split second of suspended time. It’s like the second of time is split into singularly paused nanoseconds,. The only thought in Harry’s mind is 

kiss 

the 

boy. 

Does he? 

Harry’s not sure. The thought came into his brain. In a flash the moment was over. 

Not before something like a sweeping upward catch of Louis falling into him ends with Harry having Louis in his arms. Harry gently guides Louis back onto the couch like the four of them originally intended to place him. 

Harry’s not sure about their contact. He knows he held Louis, their bodies chest to chest for a split second, but did their lips ever touch? 

Around them Niall, Zayn and Liam seem too embarrassed with their carelessness to register anything between he and Louis but in Louis’ face Harry sees something breaking through the drug-induced fog. Since being placed on the couch Louis is focused on Harry’s lips. 

Staring at them. 

Louis fingers go to touch his own lips like the act of that is to seal a kiss there; affirm the feeling of their touch making it linger because it was so very brief and so light. Maybe Louis doesn’t know for sure if it was real either. He has a slightly questioning look. 

Harry smiles at that. 

He kissed him. He did that. Sure maybe Louis is slightly medicated for the dampening of pain, maybe he’s not completely mentally clear, but he’s obviously lingering over his thoughts about the kiss. Harry’s grin widens. His stolen kiss affected Louis. 

And then like that Harry remembers how previously it was Louis who caught him in his accidental fall back at Bootcamp. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to call out how they have this orbital connection sealed by a kiss he reminds Louis of that. 

“It was your turn, to fall into me, you were mine to catch this time,” Harry says blushing as it starts to become a little weird when he realizes he’s drawn attention to something cosmic between them. 

He steps away, one step back, like more distance will make his crushing less obvious. “...’er you remember at Bootcamp when you got me out of trouble with that twat the day of the chorography, remember.” 

When Harry realizes he’s beginning to sound like a stupidly awkward teenager he stops speaking. And like that the other three move to see to the important things at hand, how does Louis feel? What medication is he on? Why did the sting get suddnely so bad so fast? Oh, so he’s highly allergic to the urchin venom, okay. so how does he feel now? 

This is when the Dermot comes to find them and check on Louis. He asks many questions, of Louis, of the five of them and then he moves to make a decision. They were to be performing their song for Simon and Sinatra in the coming hour, but given Louis’ partially medicated state the judges are going to alter the order of the go, simply have One Direction go later, after Princes and Rogues. This is graciously to give Louis time to come out of his groggy state. 

Relieved the five settle in and cram together on the one couch. Little would they know this would become a running parttern for them in the future where in interview after interview they would assume a crammed together on one couch, no matter how small it might be, like they are they best of themselves whenever they are so closely connected. It is Harry who sits closest to Louis’ bad foot. With Dermot bringing them some ice packs for Louis’ foot, Harry lifts the limb gently laying it on his leg so it is elevated as they all continue to just hang out there together. Five of them, one dream, one direction. 

They share with Louis how they worked on the song without him. How impact of that was just to make their performance a mess. Did Louis feel like he could still sing? 

When the time comes for them to go perform the ice pack is all water. With Harry and Liam’s help Louis stands and tries for the first time to put his weight on his foot. He claims it’s okay. Mostly tingly and numb more than painful thanks to the drugs. Harry runs to get Louis some shoes, a pair of flip flops he has. By the time he’s returned Liam and Louis have had a brief chat. 

Only later after they are put through to the live show would Harry learn the conversation was how Louis still wasn’t really feeling very well at all. To Liam, Niall, and Zayn he confessed. But their fears were put aside when Louis said he be sure to appear to be singing along with Harry as they had originally practiced so Harry wouldn’t know how much of the solo was really all on him.


	66. If I Could Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This read is in three sections. The first part weaves the history of the “fall into me stuff” from the epilogue with the significance of songs planned for the big reunion with four plus Louis in concert. The middle part describes how the concert staging is set up in the days before the concert.
> 
> ***

“Fall into me,” Harry says softly mumbling it into the side of Louis’ head as he continues his hold of Louis to his chest while in the massive stadium the long-delayed audience sounds more riled and determined in their chants. Simon was drug away by security. Harry and Louis remain swaddled by the arms of their three bandmates as Harry clarifies why those three words were significant. 

“You said that to me first, then later I said it back to you later, when you had been stung, but no cameras ever caught that between us. Those were private exchanges, private but important. Each time the phrase marked something between us, it’s only for you and I. Do you remember the first time I said that to you, or when you first said it to me?”

Harry feels how Louis is still maybe a little listless, a little traumatized, from the encounter with Simon. Harry lets Louis hang there on him with the expression on Louis’ face the only indication that his mind is searching for an answer. 

What minutes ago was horror when he was gripped by Simon is replaced with something else. Memories perhaps? Harry holds his breath in hopeful anticipation.

“I, I, I think I do. Sort of. Something about it.”

Louis stops. He’s searching his thoughts again. Memories. Harry hopes. Memories like Jay said showed signs of returning though maybe only in small bits. 

“Maybe I think there is something I remember with you in a fight with some guy at...was it an audition? And then later when me foot got bitten. I was afraid after returning from hospital I’d fall when we walked out to sing and everything was riding on that song, one song, two minutes of it, something like that.”

Harry can’t help himself. This is a huge breakthrough. He grabs Louis’ face between his two hands to kiss. He kisses deeply into Louis’ mouth, switching to lay kisses softly over Louis’ face then back to deeply in his mouth again. His passion is fueled by this strong sign Louis isn’t always going to drawl a blank on all they were. It’s another gift to them given again by Tony, indirectly; Cho’s work has some positive effects. 

Pulling away but keeping his hands framing Louis’ face Harry’s thumbs brush over Louis’ delicate features. It’s like they have been living in a terrible dream and now Louis is waking and maybe the nightmare can fade away.

Liam, Niall and Zayn have loosened their hold though all three leave their hands on the two at the core stabilizing them.

Liam leads off. “Are we okay, we gonna do this?”

Everyone looks at Louis. Louis keeps his eyes on Harry’s.

“Yes, yes we are.” Louis says. In his eyes are some spark, some determination.

Stepping back so they become a small circle of five Louis intiates a hand going to the center of their circle. It is a tradition. And another thing they’ve never reintroduced Louis to since the rehearsals for his return began. Is it something he saw in watching the archives of videos of their history? Perhaps. Harry let’s himself believe not, that it’s more than that, it’s more memories of them surfacing. First it was the three words, now this tradition, soon everything would be alright. 

***

The album One Direction was touring limitedly during Louis’ missing year was the last one they recorded, Midnight Memories. They were working on material for a forth album, something with no working title yet when Louis disappeared. The small collection of songs it had written for it were greatly due to Louis. So it’s ironic that they would be picking up with touring “Memories” because memories are so significant now. Along with songs heavily drawn from Memories they would also be doing a few from the untitled fourth album. 

Another thing that is also sort of ironic about the album Midnight Memories is how it has a heavy influence of things Louis. It was Louis and Liam who wrote on many of the songs. As for Harry, Harry tends to do his writing as secrets for himself to keep which he hides in his leather bound journal that he carries with him everywhere. 

Keeping his songs as secrets is not because Harry doesn’t want to share his work. He does. He just doesn’t want to dilute its message. He doesn’t have the heart to write it the way Louis does, gender neutral. That takes such inner strength to willingly live the lie and wait for a new day. Harry never believed he had that kind of strength. Nor does Harry want to do what Liam does, throw in an unnecessary “girl” here and there in lyrics to assure the listener that his love song is from him as a boy to a girl. For these reasons Harry’s writing is something he’s needing to hold to himself for awhile yet. Maybe because it too obviously reflects who he is. Who he loves. And since he hadn’t been able to be that person publically, his songs just accumulated there in his book of secrets. That is until now. Harry’s trove of songs are still hidden except at this huge moment for them as a band restored all will remain there except for one. 

There is a particular song Harry wrote from his heart which came about in the dark time for Harry when Louis was missing, rumors suggesting possibly because of Harry, thus the song has a downtempo to it. More than having great meaning to Harry, the song, ‘If I Could Fly’, also has a sort irony to it as well in the context of the present, because yeah, he can fly now. Also Harry is certainly no longer “completely defenseless”, not at least, when armed as Ironman. Furthermore the song sort of was born out of the feelings Louis created in Harry from their very beginning. When Harry fell over the other contestant’s foot years ago at bootcamp the feeling Harry came away with, because of the way Louis caught him, was like Louis was freeing Harry, metaphorically, like releasing a bird into flight. This feeling is so deeply rooted in the emotions Louis created in Harry going back to the very beginning that it’s Harry’s inspiration in the birds he has branded on his chest. 

Another part of the irony of ‘If I Could Fly’ is how in Harry’s ideal arrangement for the song during his writing of it was always the plan to have Louis do a part that is in every way a reflection of their current reality. “I’ve got scars, even though they can’t always be seen”, and the reference to his “pain”, were all words written as metaphors but now hauntingly accurate of Louis. At the time Harry was referring to the scars from secret battles Louis had with Simon, but now those words are almost literally discriptive. 

So it is that when the five of started their rehearsals leading up to this massively anticipated show somehow Harry decides he should let down his secrecy over songs. He decides he wants ‘If I Could Fly’ to be performed. Live. For the the first time with them on stage, exposed, figuratively naked with the sharing of the song. 

The song was added to those they rehearse for the concert but somehow it’s perfection to what was in Harry’s heart was not working well as a put in opening with the anticipation and energy of the build up for this moment. Some other new song was needed for an impactful opening. Search was on for a song that is relevant, filled with meaning, and largely driving a strong, confident message that they are back, once again a band of five brothers. 

As the search was on for their perfect set list and the big concert opener the band had more challenges than simply working with Louis to relearn songs. Fortunately with Louis back and his freedom restored he fell naturally into what kind of person he always was gong back to the very beginning like with the big one-shot change to impress Simon and Sinatra years ago. While Louis might have lost a lot of what was him because of the abuse, they discovered once they began planning to do this performance how Louis totally retained his innate qualities of being witty, outspoken, full of playful energy, and fortunately, also a very clever lyricist. 

Amidst their rehearsals for this performance Louis kept doing this thing when they were taking a break from rehearsing where he would energetically jig around like the way Louis always does because he’s a force of nature with his need to move, unless he’s literally sleeping. As Louis played around he’d just kept saying “nobody’s gonna drag me down, nobody, nobody”. Eventually this lyric caught on. 

All involved in the concert preparations believed this “nobody’s gonna drag me down” thing Louis was doing was Louis’ way of keeping himself from getting too overwrought because what he was facing, coming back into the public eye, his first performance since he was lost, so much material he’d forgotten to relearn. It was a lot on his shoulders. The catchy mantra Louis created got stuck in the head of one of their writers who was intimately involved in their rehearsals intrusted with helping Louis with relearning the songs since the writer, Julian, was one of the biggest contributors of most of their music. 

After a few rehearsal sessions with Louis doing his limerick over and over in breaks between practice Julian came in to their next rehearsal with a new song that he wanted them to try, something Julian titled “Drag me Down”. 

The song caught the mood the five of them needed which made ‘Drag Me Down’ the immediate choice for what the show would open with pushing another stand alone piece like “One Way or Another” to another slot. To Julian’s credit he used lyrics meant to fit in the unspoken truth of Larry fantasies about them. Boat and compass, Julian uses boat. The way Harry mourned Louis in his lost year frequently confiding to the intimate circle about his feelings; that with no Louis Harry had “nothing left” and how Louis was the sun to Harry. Harry was immediately in love with the song. ‘If I Could Fly’ took the position in last set because it was a poignantly defining song of them and for the first time Harry was pushing for his own material, timely and intimate. 

As they began working on perfecting a vocal arrangement of ‘Drag Me Down’ Louis tended to do whatever distractions he wanted as the others discussed who would sing what part as was historically the typical way his playfully active nature expended energy if his input isn’t required. While the other four focused on working out a few details with of the song with Julian the behavior by Louis’ was caught on film by the ever present Ben Winston. Ben was there in his role of gathering more footage of the band as part of a long standing plan for an eventual 1D movie. Ben noticed in his review of footage of the rehearsal how Louis seems to be coming out from hiding behind Harry much the time when they are preparing to rehearse the song. 

Something in the way this appears to suggest Louis is absent when Harry starts out leading the song with the lyrics “I’ve got a fire in my heart,” but by verse end, when Louis steps up to sing his part it’s as if Louis miraculously appeared. This illusion captivates Winston. He suggest the fire of them look at this illusion caught in his footage. Voilà, reviewing the video shows how the impact is perfect. It’s exactly a surprising type of entry by Louis they could only dream of. What happens next is creative work by their stage team to set up lights to make this illusion work for virtually every angle for the show’s opening. How could they not play with the audience’s emotions; make it seem like the concert is opening with just the four of them but then have Louis come into view from what appears to be out of nowhere?

*** 

Once they approach the stage entry. There is one last pause before four of the five proceed just slightly ahead of Louis. Once again all five embrace. Harry pulls apart from the hug with leaving a quick kiss on the side of Louis’ head just brushing lips on his temple. 

Louis smiles at Harry in a way Harry’s heart has been warmed a thousand times in their history together.

With the lights hitting the crowd for the grand illusion the audience goes wild. There are four who take the stage. Music started when they stepped out. From left to right the audience sees Zayn, Liam, Harry and Niall. Harry’s a little in front of the other three. Astonishingly, devastatingly, there is no Louis. 

Intense screams drop from massively elated to welcoming, but deflated. 

Where’s Louis? Is his abscence tied to the appearance of Ironman earlier? Is there some problem? It’s also most more than some fans can take even as Harry pushes on singing a song that’s completely new to them, his voice riveting. 

“I’ve got fire for a heart, I’m not scared of the dark, you’re never seen it look so easy, I’ve got a river for a soul, and baby you’re a boat, baby, you’re my only reason,” 

Harry’s voice is soothing, the crowd is captivated. The other three who bracket Harry are looking as unfrettered like they are simply waiting for their verse as Harry sings. Not a one of them seem concerned that this Louis reunion event is void of Louis. 

And then it’s happened. Stepping from behind Harry into view singing the next verse is Louis.

“If I didn’t have you there would be nothing left, the shell of a man that could never be his best, if I didn’t have you I’d never see the sun, you taught me how to be someone, yeah,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dash on Tumblr was blowing up this past weekend with talk about Harry’s performance of ‘If I Could Fly’ in concert. It’s ironic as hell the timing coincidence of Harry putting attention on the song given how that song is writtten into this fiction significant in the story’s ending. It kills me that he apparently didn’t sing Louis’ part. Why is he like that? How are people like me to get an actual life when he’s being so wtf....


	67. Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Yes, I left this update at the very precipice of the beginning of smut...not to be a biatch, but to give myself proper time for enjoying writing it.
> 
> ***

Liam sings next. “All my life, You stood by me, When no one else was ever behind me, All these lights, They can't blind me, With your love, nobody can drag me down” 

Liam is probably not heard by the crowd who are singularly focusing on the unexpected but welcomed appearance of Louis. By the time Louis follows Liam and sings again, “Nobody, nobody” they’ve hushed a bit. 

Chorus of the voices Harry, Liam, Niall and Zayn follow Louis two words with “Nobody can drag me down”.  
The pattern of alternation continues with Louis singing the cutout of “Nobody, nobody” to which the other four answer in concert “Nobody can drag me down”

Audience wide desire for more of Louis is obvious, yet the screaming subsides a bit as the song goes on, Niall singing a solo next. “I got a fire for a heart, I'm not scared of the dark, You've never seen it look so easy, I got a river for a soul, And baby you're a boat, Baby, you're my only reason”

With Niall’s solos it becomes very apparent that is doesn’t matter if a fan is a self-proclaimed Harry-girl, all-gone for Zayn, Niall, Liam whatever, for this night it’s an audience of all bonified Louies. Everyone is celebrating that Louis is back. This reaction can’t be more wonderful for Louis or the other four. 

Zayn sings after Niall. “If I didn't have you there would be nothing left,” with Liam, Harry and Niall adding an echo to each line “nothing left”.

“The shell of a man who could never be his best,” Zayn sings. 

“Be his best,” echo the other three.

“If I didn't have you, I'd never see the sun,” Zayn again sings. 

“See the sun” echos.

“You taught me how to be someone, yeah.”

Liam picks up the song again “All my life, You stood by me, When no one else was ever behind me, All these lights, They can't blind me, With your love nobody can drag me down.” 

The audience seems calmed ever so slightly; at least this time they are hearing Liam. 

Then Louis sings, “Nobody, nobody” and wild, crazed screaming tops the sound of the other four following with “Nobody can drag me down”.

A momentary pause of screams settles across the stadium audience with Louis’ next “Nobody, nobody” after which audience is immediately rocketed into crazed second or two of elevated screams rising over the chorus “Nobody can drag me down”.

The crowd tries to quiet and focus when Harry takes the song. Sign-toting Larries clearly are writing fictions in their heads as they pout the words into their fantasies while Harry’s sultry voice carries the tune, “All my life, You stood by me, When no one else was ever behind me, All these lights, They can't blind me, With your love, nobody can drag me down”. 

Those words are sung timed with Harry making a pass across stage taking him for the first time to within a few feet of Louis since the opening when Louis surprisingly popped out from behind Harry. Harry closing the distance between he and Louis spikes the crazed screams of fans. 

Liam keeps the momentum of capturing the crowd’s focus by also passing along the stage to close the distance between he and Louis. He actually stops at Louis side and rest the elbow of one arm on Louis’ shoulder which secures attention on his lyrics, “All my life, You stood by me, When no one else was ever behind me, All these lights, They can't blind me, With your love, nobody can drag me down”.

When Liam finishes Louis gives him the classical Louis-scrunchy-nose sort of smile before releasing his “Nobody, nobody”. This leads them all into a close position on the stage to finish out the song, Louis bracketed by Niall and Harry on one side, Liam and Zayn on the other. “Nobody can drag me down” they sing. Liam’s elbow on Louis’ shoulder is mimicked by Niall standing to Louis’ other side.

“Nobody, nobody” Louis sings. “Nobody can drag me down” the other four sing. This series continues a couple more times and the song is finished. As soon as it’s completed the five can’t help but come together in a hug. Faces buried in in other they keep this hold for a noteworthy amount of time while the fans loose it like they might be seeing these five for the last time.

But then the music picks up. Reluctantly they part but with Louis leading off on their next song the audience comes down from a nearly ear-damaging level of screams. 

Harry watches Louis’ every move as he peels away from where the five of them had been. From Harry’s perspective stage lights catch Louis silhouette in an ideal way. Louis had walked to the front and center of the stage and sings with music that is softly opening with a tune that, like ‘Drag Me Down’, is new to the world. 

“I might never be the one you take home to mother ....” Louis sings on. 

Perfect. The song is ‘Perfect’. And so is Louis in Harry’s view as Louis is completely transforming the crowd into a quiet, breath-holding mass of spell-bound individuals. Like the captivated audience Harry is holding his breath, heart racing as Louis sings with his voice conveying a remarkable frailty to it that for Harry makes him yearn to ignore the stadium full of people, take Louis now, and have Louis all to himself again. As the audience is riveted by this unknown song, Harry fantasy of ravishing Louis must wait. 

As Liam picks up the next line Louis stands there for a second or two responding to a pair of fans with one of the many homemade signs bearing his name and their love for him. Louis does his distinctive little wave at them in the way Louis always does; his arm straight, fingers on his hand separated and fanned out, all the wave is created by action of his wrist. It’s one of those cute things that Louis always does in just such a way that makes Harry’s heart melt for him. 

Making the connection with his targeted fans Louis jumps away from where he was, another Louis move, it’s almost a hop. Then he jigs along his path, yet another innately Louis behavior. Harry has his solo come almost without notice because he’s captivated by how all those little things about Louis, memory failures or not, are still there. He’s still the same boy Harry was first infatuated with when he saw him at Script concert, and fell in love with from their fleeting meeting at the Manchester audition, years ago. 

*** 

‘If I Could Fly’ with its new meaning to Harry came near the end of their concert. It also came after one of Louis and Harry’s brief disappearances from stage while Liam and Niall bantered acknowledging the two disappearing as a pee-break. These occasional breaks were always when the rowdiest pockets of fans, those carrying Larry signs made themselves heard. Clustered in groups these fans were fervent and passionate in their acceptance that Harry is Louis’, Louis Harry’s. Had they been able to see what was happening backstage their ideas would be confirmed. 

As soon as the two lovers relieved themselves they made a clumsy path to return to the stage. Anyone in their path, any thing, they pumped into or nearly fell over because they were both more focused on putting their hands on each other or kissing each other while trying to walk. Making Liam stretch things a few more seconds than necessary the lovers kept their contact in some form until the last second when one would take the stage ahead of the other, usually Louis, Harry being in need of sending him with a slap on the pump bum making Louis giggle as he leapt out to join Zayn, Liam and Niall followed by Harry who’s brain seems singularly focused on formulating a plan for how he was going to wreck Louis later, after the show.

For now, Harry has to focus on something other than his fantasies. He takes the lead with music playing that is calm and downtempo. It’s new. The crowd quiets. Everyone is listening for clues, particularly the Larries. 

“If I could fly,” Harry starts. The audience is hushed. 

“I’d be coming right back home to you,” he sings. Hearts melt. Harry’s written this for Louis so many are realizing the meaning and weeping from the impact of such honesty. 

The song continues on. When it comes to Louis’ part it’s Harry who has tears. He tires not to let anyone see them as Louis sings the words Harry wrote for him about “scars that can’t be seen”. 

By the time a chorus repeats it is clear that it has only taken this supportive crowd one time to have learned the words; when the song ends the entire stadium is singing the last of the song with the five boys because this song takes them through the last wall and into the world that has been private and unspoken of for so long. 

”If you like causing trouble up in hotel rooms, And if you like having secret little rendezvous, If you like to do the things you know that we shouldn’t do, Baby, I'm perfect, Baby, I'm perfect for you, And if you like midnight driving with the windows down, And if you like going places we can’t even pronounce, If you like to do whatever you've been dreaming about, Baby, you're perfect, Baby, you're perfect, So let's start right now”. 

There are a few Harry girls here and there in the crowd who cry not for joyous support of this expression of love but forthemselves. They know, unequivocally now, that Harry isn’t theirs. It’s a hard thing to grasp but they kind of get that it’s time to let their fantasies go. How could a true fan want Harry to be anything but happy anyway? 

*** 

Within seconds of being off stage, Louis who’s last of the five to exit the stage, leaps as Harry turns to see his four friends blissful joy over the astounding response from the audience. The adrenaline infused leap takes Louis forward into Harry who barely has time to prepare to catch him. Like a koala, Louis has his arms and legs around Harry, his lips crushing into Harry’s, his fingers biting into Harry’s body where they grip. 

The rest of the band, musicians, stage crew let this go as unremarkable as Harry finds a place to provide stability to his role as Louis’ handler. The support of a massive stage foundation provides Harry enough assist such that he can use his hands to properly feel over Louis’ body as he wishes. When they left stage after an extended attempt to squelch the fifth standing ovation, unsuccessful again at pacifying the crowd, Louis was drenched. All five of them had become very hot and sweaty as the energy of their final songs’ performances worked them into such a mess, but it was Louis who became the target of water play which began when a fan tossed him a water bottle on his request which he used to pour over himself. Once Louis did that, fans everywhere were sending water to the stage and in playful fun, this concert mostly about Louis being back, the other boys began using the water to celebrate Louis in yet another way. Making him the target of a good hosing down. Harry most of all knows how much Louis likes being “hosed down” so he was most responsible for Louis’ wet condition at present. 

Harry wouldn’t want Louis any other way. Wet. Hot. Needy. 

What Harry really wants right now is to take this groping to the next level. Aware they are to go to a post-performance reception with their entire band, stage crew, families and a few closest friends waiting, Harry pushes aside obligations and gives into his charge. Needy Louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plan is for the next update to be mostly justa little last bit of smut then follow with a weird look back as the proper ending unfolds. The look back features Tony. Yes, he’s been written out but there are archives of his video diary to himself that give a look into his mind, his feeling about what he was doing, struggling with, when he realized to bring Louis to his home was a slippery slope and a dangerous addition to have fallen into.


	68. Tonight it can be different

All Harry wants is to touch Louis slowly and revel in averything that was fabulous and perfect about the night, the concert, them being together again. 

But it seems all Louis needs is Harry fast. His eyes say he wants to get on Harry’s dick. His eyes say talk less, touch more. His heat, it feels dangerous.

Harry’s fingers go to work at the challenge of getting Louis’ wet clothes off his trembling body. As Harry works at this they are engaged in a deep kiss while shuffling their way across their dressing room that they excused themselves into after the five of them came off stage. 

Harry’s attempts to release the closure on Louis’ jeans isn’t getting very far. Unintentionally they walk into a table abruptly breaking off their kiss. Both laugh.

They are supposed to be in the dressing room only to quickly change clothes, so they said, then go to the reception where celebrating Louis back is the theme, but everyone in sight of them knew when then stepped into this room it was likely these two would be a little distracted, more than a few minutes longer than “a quick change”. Lust was written on their faces, their body language suggestive. 

With the two of them working together they pull the clinging shirt Louis wears off his torso. His body is hot to the touch but contact with air makes goosebumps immediately rise on Louis’ skin. His nipples, so tiny look tight, a little erect with the mix of colder air and anticipation. Harry goes to suckle on one. This sends Lous’ hands into Harry’s hair, gripping, as Louis falls back somewhat onto the table they encountered. Louis’ back arches with his delight over Harry’s nipple play.

“Haaarrraaay!” 

It’s a wispy gasp. Harry’s hands give some tugs on Louis’ unfastened pants but the jeans aren’t going to budge. They are interly too tight, too wet. Harry gives that ambition a rest letting his hands run up Louis’ torso as his lips move slowly from nipple toward center of chest, slowly up gliding with kitten licks and kisses along the way over skin to just under those collarbones that so many find “seductive” defined. 

And they are. How many times has Harry had to suffer seeing Louis in some loose neck tee? His bone structure revealed; its architectural perfection screaming to be worshipped? It’s too many times this has been Harry’s predicament. Desire to be suffered, stuck admiring Louis’ collarbones in some public settling and unable to act on that desire or mark them. Always Harry wants to leave a brand that screams for all to see that Louis is taken. Claimed. Harry’s. 

Tonight it can be different. They are in a safe group of friends, family and their faithful crew. No one will be surprised to see Harry’s rights to claim.

Harry takes his time burning his first mark into Louis. It’s so intoxicating to them both that the act has Louis laying back moving completely onto the table unable to do more than yield and writhe under Harry’s touch while gasping Harry’s name again and again.

When Harry pulls back and peaks at his work he find he’s left marks that become instantly a deep, deep red. They will linger for days. 

Prone on the table Louis can’t hide his need. Louis’ little belly rises and lowers rapidly. Harry has taken his breath. In his eyes the normal sparkling blue is replaced by a heavy darkness. Desire. Deep, deep pools of blue. A warm, feather-light touch from Louis’ hand brushes the side of Harry’s face, tracing along his dimple before fingertips swoop over Harry’s lips.

“Hold on,” Harry says as he takes ahold of the top of Louis’ jeans and begins to pull on them. Drenched the jeans come off after what is comically enduring resistance. Both laugh but Harry wants to mark the other collarbone as soon as his eyes see the beauty of Louis fully naked before him, a semi suggesting how much Louis wants him.

Having branded Louis again Harry begins to kiss up Louis’ neck. He leaves more marks. Louis is grasping him, tugging at Harry’s more dry shirt and twisting it, grappling for Harry’s pants making no effect of removing them because Harry has him overwhelmed with sensations as Harry’s lips and tongue work at sucking marks on skin.

After breathy kisses along Louis’ jawline leave Louis nearly levitating off the table Harry let’s him be. This is solely for the purpose of stripping himself. Louis is panting, lips parted, eyes darkened more with his pupils wide with want. When Harry has his clothes off Louis rolls deliberately from table to the floor. Once on his knees his hands seize Harry, one hand takes dick while the other positions rest on Harry’s bum to block from Harry moving back as Louis immediately sinks down on Harry’s cock. Louis’ mouth is able to take in all of Harry’s length because it’s not yet fully engorged.

With this it’s now Louis who has Harry gasping, head going back, body reacting almost involuntarily. 

How they both shift with Louis staying on his knees, sucking dick and yet moving so Harry can be the one back against the table is a mystery, but there discover he is. He leans back on the table hands gripping so hard that knuckles are white. He wants to make words but only obscene noises to leave his throat as Louis bobs on him, even as it’s getting more challenging to deep troat Harry’s cock as Harry is hardening in his mouth rapidly. 

Harry can’t control his delight with this. Originally he had a plan when he entered the dressing room; make Louis know how perfect and loved he is. Be the ideal lover. Do this on the high of their amazing night, the first performance back as the full group of five. 

He did not expect this. Louis being equally so high on the night that he too has his own plan. On the high of that breakthrough on his path to healing has snapped Louis out of any lingering trauma even from seeing Simon earlier. Here on the floor before Harry is the same sassy, determined, pixie-pan boy that Harry originally fell in love with. 

Heat building in his core alarms Harry enough for him to force to formulate words. “Louis, wanna...”

Louis doesn’t let Harry speak. He’s off his knees and kissing Harry within a second. His body presses into Harry’s putting Harry bending backwards until Harry gets the idea to be lying on the table. He’s no sooner reclined there than Louis is climbing on top of the table and him. He’s got Harry writhing now as he is the one kissing Harry into bliss giving Harry barely a chance for air. Louis begins to rut his body on Harry’s while kissing him.

Harry’s fully engorged cock nearly finds its place between sweaty bum cheeks being stimulated by the wet heat. It’s not not fulfilling enough though. 

“Louis, wanna do this right, slowly...”

Louis hushes Harry with another tongue engaging kiss keeping the action of his hips undulating against Harry’s body so Harry’s dick is teased, stimulated, tormanted just enough to create an insane mix of pleasure and unrequited desire for more need from Louis.

Louis chuckles. The single word “fast” slips out between the act of kissing. Louis is indicating he won’t let Harry have the time he wants to make this a lingering kind of thing. Perhaps it’s because they have a room full of people in this concert hall waiting. Every minute that ticks by is telling to their friends of what Harry and Louis are doing, not that anyone could be surprised.

Once Louis announced his demand he pulls back from the kiss and takes an upright position straddling Harry, using one hand to shift Harry’s cock to his entrance. He holds it there as he works his hips to make maximum contact between his hole and Harry’s knob. He takes his other hand to this union and Harry feels how Louis is alternating working a finger into himself for a split second then playing at trying to push the much too big knob against the marginally prepped entrance and talking dirty to Harry about what he’ll do. 

Being a devoted lover Harry begins to protest the pace at which Louis is trying to work himself open barely enough by this alteration. Louis being determined, sasses Harry, tempting to silence him into submission. “Say anything more and you’ll be coming down my throat.”

This makes Harry mute. He wants to have Louis ride him. He knows he’s already so aroused that if Louis puts his cock between those lips again he’d come in two seconds. 

Making a little progress with a few minutes of fingering himself and pressing the head of Harry’s cock on his hole Louis begins to blather on about intentions of riding Harry. Harry’s needs are fueled by the filthy talk which overrides his naturally tender concern for his lover’s safety. If Louis wants to push that massive knob into his tiny, tight, probably still too pristine hole, so be it. At this point seeing Louis taking him is all Harry can think of.

“Can I just say how much I want you? Even if it hurts, I just want you...” Harry admits,

Louis shakes his head rapidly and his face winches because that exact moment is precisely when he tries just that; tighter than he should be, Louis seats himself on the knob, his muscular rim is challenging the decision. He looks so determinedly seeking pleasure they both know can come only after he pushes through the pain that Harry can’t stop him. He can only offer to support Louis by having hands setting on either hip, holding Louis ever so slightly. Harry knows could add a push but he doesn’t. He could, yes. Louis would allow it, but Harry would never. He lets Louis be the power bottom he’s always been. From the day one when Harry interrupted Louis and Hanna and was invited to join them, Louis has always had control though he sometimes claims he has none when it comes to Harry. No control. Right. 

As soon as Louis starts to move Harry knows how dangerous this is. Harry wants to come in Louis immediately from feeling a slow slide, his plans for slow romance be damned. His hands go to cup Louis’ bum cheeks pulling them wide while Louis begins fucking himself on Harry’s dick letting his eyes close to focus on what feels right. Once Harry feels like Louis is taking him without further strain he releases arse moving his hands to hips. 

Each stroke Louis makes is taking Harry razor close to nirvana. Leaving himself untouched, Louis’ cock lists to and fro. Louis must know Harry is so close, their bodies are so tuned to the others, because Louis breaks his moves at weird places. Defying his resolve, Louis’ thighs tremble against Harry’s body. Their heat is intensifying Harry’s need. 

For a split second Harry thinks he wants to stop this, place Louis on his back and be minutes or hours of kissing Louis all the places he hadn’t gotten to yet, then maybe, begin this again, but then he realizes Louis, no longer too tight, is having a sensational time riding him. He has that look on his face. Next it dawns on Harry how much he too is enjoying this because Harry realizes he can’t feel his cheeks. This can mean only one thing. He’s grinning while being so riden such that he looks like some delirious idiot who can’t manage a degree of self control. 

Louis eventually changes his approach fucking Harry while leaning back. The arching reposition makes Harry’s organ stroke in him deep while the vein on Harry’s dick is newly stimulated. The angle, Harry can only imagine, is edging Louis’ sweet spot and he’s playing it because he wants to feel Harry’s dick spasm, come inside him, before Louis allow himself to release, or so it seems confirmed as Louis mumbles this between his moans of pleasure. 

This beautiful backward arch gives Harry a great appreciation of the way Louis’ body is shaped. Made for riding dick. Thighs so full and sumptuous. Hips designed for gripping; where Harry’s fingers bite into the normally golden flesh the skin looks white from this pressure. Later there will be marks on hips. A tiny waist and delicate torso make him the definition of twink though it’s deceptive because inside his chest he has the heart and determination of a lion. The toned, shapeliness of Louis’ arms contrast the alluring prominence of those collarbones is one paradox of beauty. Listing backwards it’s so all so perfect like he isn’t even real. There’s a split second where Harry’s brain panics like he’s only dreaming this and he’ll wake from a wet dream realizing Louis is still missing. This isn’t real. Louis isn’t real. 

Then Harry questions. Is his brain is letting him only dream a dream of a better now? Is all of this, this wonderful night, the concert, the discovery about Simon during Simon’s confession, Harry having taken the place, power, of Ironman is all a weird dream?


End file.
